What to Do After a Rear-End Automobile Accident in New Jersey

By Greg Kohn
Partner

If you get involved in a rear-end collision, you need to know how to protect your right to compensation from the at-fault party. A New Jersey personal injury attorney can negotiate directly with the claims adjuster on your behalf and answer your questions about what to do after a rear-end automobile accident in New Jersey.

Call 911 for Law Enforcement

If there is any damage to either car or any other property, you will need to get a police report. Also, if you think that anyone got injured, you should call law enforcement to come to the scene and request an ambulance. 

Share the Right Information

You and the other driver should exchange information like name, phone number, driver’s license number, insurance company, policy number, and name and contact information of insurance agents.  The other driver does not need to know where you live, what you do for a living, or whether you think you were at fault. Say as little as possible to others at the scene so that your words of sympathy do not get twisted into an unintended admission of guilt.

Collect Fleeting Evidence

Some types of evidence will be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain after you leave the scene of the accident. If you can do so safely, you will want to get the names and contact information of people who might have seen the accident and what led up to it. Eyewitnesses can be challenging to find later without their names and contact information.

If you can do so, try to get photographs of the cars, the scene, and anything else, like skid marks and damage to the vehicles. There is a good reason they say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Most people have a cell phone that can take pictures. These snaps will do the job if you do not happen to have another camera at the scene.

Leaving the Scene

You should not leave the scene of the accident until the police tell you that you may do so. Even if you did not cause the collision, you could get charged with leaving a motor vehicle accident illegally, also called “hit-and-run,” if you do not stay until the police get all the information they want.

Notify Your Car Insurance Company   

Today, informing your auto insurance carrier can be as simple as calling your agent on your cell phone while waiting for the police to arrive. The quicker you call your insurer, the better. They will want to get evidence and information to protect them if the other driver makes a claim against your policy. 

If you do not contact your insurance company promptly, they might deny coverage for your claim or refuse to defend you if someone blames you for the crash. People often stretch the truth to try to avoid accountability for their actions.

Getting Medical Attention

If you got hurt in the collision, you should go to the emergency room, urgent care center, or doctor, whichever is appropriate, right away. Sometimes, symptoms do not appear right away, but medical professionals know how to evaluate possible injuries from trauma. Your medical records will help us to connect your injuries to the rear-end car crash.

Get a Personal Injury Lawyer on Your Side

A New Jersey personal injury attorney can handle your claim for compensation if you got hurt in a rear-end car accident that was someone else’s fault. You can call us today for a free consultation. There is no obligation. Get in touch with our office for a free consultation.

About the Author
Greg Kohn is a partner at Nagel Rice and specializes in complex civil litigation cases, including professional malpractice, personal injury, class actions, wrongful death, products liability, and commercial litigation.  He has extensive experience representing clients in both state and federal court. Greg has tried many jury trials to verdict and has recovered over $50 million in settlements and verdicts in all types of personal injury matters including automobile accidents, wrongful death cases, slip and falls, and other catastrophic injury cases. Greg also handles medical malpractice cases, involving misdiagnoses, wrongful birth, and delayed cancer diagnosis. If you have questions regarding this article, you can contact Greg here.