Newark Multi-Vehicle Accident Lawyers
When several vehicles collide, the available insurance coverage may not be enough to compensate everyone who was injured. One at-fault driver’s policy may have to cover everyone hurt in the crash. Early settlements can reduce the coverage available to other injured people.
If you were injured in a pileup, you may feel pressured to settle before you know what your claim is worth.
Our Newark multi-vehicle accident lawyers identify every driver and policy early, work to protect your share of the coverage, and look for more sources when the main policy falls short.
Already getting settlement calls? Talk with us for free before you accept any offer.
What Do People Ask Before Hiring Us for a Multi-Vehicle Case?
Our father-and-son firm has represented injured New Jersey residents since 1997. Before hiring an attorney, injured people often want to know how their claims will be handled, what representation costs, and who will work on their cases.
Will I Have to Deal With Every Insurer Myself?
No. Once you hire us, we handle communications with every insurance company involved, respond to requests for information, and coordinate claims involving multiple policies.
We work to prevent one settlement from interfering with your ability to pursue compensation from other available sources.
What Will It Cost to Hire You?
Nothing up front, and nothing at all unless we recover money. We work under our No Recovery, No Fee arrangement and pay the costs of building the case while it is underway.
Who Will Actually Handle My Case?
Our father-and-son firm handles multi-vehicle accident claims with the experience of partners Richard Goldstein and Michael J. Goldstein, who bring more than five decades of combined legal experience. Michael is also a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Civil Trial Attorney.
We investigate the crash, identify available insurance coverage, and handle negotiations with insurers. We can also connect you with our established network of treating physicians. These cases are part of our broader Newark personal injury practice.
What Do Per-Person and Per-Accident Limits Mean for You?
Most auto liability policies have two injury limits. The per-person limit is the most the policy pays any one injured person. The per-accident limit is the most it pays everyone hurt in the same crash, combined.
In a two-car crash with one injured person, only the per-person limit usually matters. When several people are injured, the per-accident limit caps the total amount that one liability policy will pay, regardless of the combined value of their claims.
The state’s auto insurance buyer’s guide explains how these limits work. Your declarations page lists both numbers for your own policy, and we confirm the at-fault driver’s limits in writing.
How Is Limited Coverage Divided Among Several Injured People?
When the claims add up to more than the per-accident limit, the money has to be divided. There is no single formula, but this example shows the problem clearly. The numbers are illustrative, not from a real case.
| Injured person | Estimated value of the claim | Most the policy could pay that person |
|---|---|---|
| Driver of the second car | $150,000 | $100,000 per-person limit |
| Passenger in the second car | $120,000 | $100,000 per-person limit |
| Driver of the third car | $90,000 | $90,000 |
| Total | $360,000 | $290,000 after per-person limits, but no more than the $200,000 per-accident limit |
Here, the at-fault driver’s policy has $100,000 per person and $200,000 per accident. Even after each claim is capped at the per-person limit, the three claims total $290,000.
The per-accident limit allows only $200,000 for everyone, so at least $90,000 of those capped claims cannot be paid from this policy alone.
PIP Is a Separate Pool
Each injured person’s PIP coverage generally comes from their own or a household auto policy, not from the at-fault driver’s liability limits. PIP payments for medical bills do not shrink the shared pool, which is one more reason to open PIP claims right away.
Minimum-Limit Policies
Many drivers carry only low limits, and some carry basic policies with very little liability coverage. If a responsible driver carries only minimum liability coverage, the available insurance may fall far short of the injured parties’ losses. Finding other sources then becomes the main job.
Recovering compensation directly from an at-fault driver’s personal assets may be difficult. We investigate other available insurance policies early to identify additional sources of recovery.
Why Timing Matters
If one person settles early for the full per-person limit, less remains for everyone else. That is why we identify every injured person early and present your claim with complete documentation.
Waiting until treatment ends can still make sense, as long as the insurer knows your claim is coming.
How Does Fault Decide Which Policies Pay?
Fault determines which drivers’ liability insurance policies may cover injuries from a multi-vehicle accident.
When multiple drivers share responsibility, each driver’s policy may provide a source of compensation. Injured people may also have access to personal injury protection (PIP) or uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) benefits.
Not every driver involved in a pileup is at fault. For example, a driver who was pushed into another vehicle through no fault of their own generally would not be liable for the resulting injuries.
Our attorneys examine vehicle data, video footage, and damage patterns to reconstruct the sequence of collisions and identify every potentially responsible driver.
Identifying other responsible drivers may provide access to additional liability policies when one policy cannot cover everyone’s losses.
What Happens When the Insurer Asks a Court to Divide the Money?
When an insurer faces more claims than its policy can cover, it may offer the full per-accident limit and ask that the money be divided. In some cases, the insurer deposits the limits with a court and asks the court to decide the split, a process called interpleader.
Each injured person must support their claim for a share of the available coverage. Medical records, lost wage documentation, and projected treatment costs can help establish the value of each claim.
How the Lawsuit Option Affects Each Share
Some claimants may be bound by the limitation on lawsuit option on their own policies while others are not.
That can change how much each person can recover for pain and limitations, and it may affect how a limited pool is divided. We account for that difference when we value your share.
Global Settlements
Sometimes all the injured people and the insurer agree on a split without a court. A global settlement can be efficient, but only when each person’s claim has been fully evaluated first. Once the money is divided and releases are signed, the split generally cannot be reopened.
Where Else Can Money Come From When the Main Policy Runs Out?
When the at-fault driver’s policy cannot cover everyone, the next step is finding every other source that may apply. Possible sources include these.
- Other drivers who contributed to the crash, each with their own policy.
- A commercial policy, if a truck, van, or company car was involved, which our Newark truck accident page explains further.
- Rideshare coverage, if an Uber or Lyft was part of the crash, as our Newark Uber and Lyft page explains.
- An employer’s policy, if a driver was working at the time.
- Your own underinsured motorist coverage, if your policy includes it.
Your Own Underinsured Motorist Coverage
In New Jersey, UIM coverage generally applies when your UIM limits exceed the combined liability limits available from the parties responsible for the crash.
Receiving less than an at-fault driver’s full policy limits because other injured people share the coverage does not automatically qualify you for UIM benefits.
Out-of-State Policies
Drivers from other states travel through Newark on the Turnpike and I-78, and their policies may carry different limits than a New Jersey policy. Confirming each out-of-state driver’s coverage early reveals how large the total pool really is.
What if Family Members Are Competing for the Same Coverage?
When several people in the same car are hurt, they may all be drawing on the same limited policies. Spouses, parents, and children can end up, in effect, competing for the same money.
Coordinating family members’ claims can help identify available coverage while accounting for each person’s injuries and losses.
Each person’s claim still has to be evaluated on its own. Settlements for injured children generally need court approval, which adds protection for the child.
When Separate Lawyers Make Sense
Now and then, family members in the same car have conflicting interests, such as when a passenger may have a claim against the relative who was driving. In that situation, separate lawyers may be appropriate, and we discuss it openly at the start.
How Do Liens Affect What You Actually Receive?
Medical liens and reimbursement claims can reduce the amount you take home from a settlement. Health insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid may have the right to recover certain treatment costs they paid on your behalf. The rules vary depending on the type of coverage.
Our attorneys identify potential liens early and work to reduce them whenever possible. We also review how PIP benefits from your auto insurance are treated under New Jersey law, since different rules generally apply.
Before you accept a settlement, we explain any repayment obligations and how they affect your recovery. Reducing these claims when legally permitted can help you keep more of your compensation.
Where Do Multi-Car Crashes Happen Around Newark?
Sudden traffic slowdowns can trigger chain-reaction crashes on Newark’s busiest roads, including the New Jersey Turnpike near the airport and port interchanges, I-78, Route 21, and McCarter Highway.
Winter storms can increase the risk of multi-car collisions, while traffic backups near downtown exits may cause one rear-end crash to involve several vehicles.
Regardless of where your accident occurred in Newark, our attorneys investigate the sequence of impacts, determine which drivers may be responsible, and identify the insurance policies that could cover your injuries.
FAQs for a Newark Multi-Vehicle Accident Claim
Does the first person to settle get the most money?
In a New Jersey multi-vehicle crash with limited coverage, an early settlement can shrink what is left for others. But settling fast without full documentation often means settling for less. A complete claim presented promptly usually works better than a rushed one.
The insurer offered to split its full limits among everyone. Should I agree?
An offer to divide a New Jersey policy’s full limits may be reasonable. Whether it is fair depends on how the money is split and whether other coverage exists. Each person’s injuries should be fully documented before anyone agrees to a split.
What if I was the only person hurt in a multi-car crash?
When only one person is hurt in a New Jersey multi-car crash, the per-person limits of each at-fault driver’s policy may be available. The main questions then become which drivers were at fault, how their shares are divided, and whether their combined limits cover the injuries.
How long does it take to divide limited coverage?
Dividing one New Jersey policy among several injured people can take longer than an ordinary claim. That is especially true while injuries are still being treated or a court is deciding the split.
Early documentation keeps the process from stalling, and we tell you where the split stands as it moves forward.
Can my spouse and I both make claims if we were in the same car?
Spouses hurt in the same New Jersey crash can each bring their own claims. A spouse may also claim for the loss of the other’s companionship and services. Those claims may draw on the same policy limits, so they are usually evaluated together.
Our article on liability in Newark multi-vehicle accidents covers how fault gets sorted out among the drivers.
Protect Your Share of the Coverage After a Newark Multi-Car Crash
Richard Goldstein, Newark Multi-Vehicle Accident Lawyer
When several people are injured in the same collision, limited insurance coverage can make obtaining fair compensation more difficult. Before accepting a settlement, you need to know which drivers were responsible, what coverage is available, and whether other claims could affect your recovery.
We review those questions with you at no cost. Contact our team and we will start by identifying every driver, policy, and claimant involved. Our Newark car accident lawyers also represent people injured in chain-reaction collisions involving multiple vehicles.
Results depend on the specific facts of each case, and past outcomes do not predict future results.
