
Passenger Injury Attorneys in New Jersey
Your Rights as an Injured Passenger After a Car Crash
Any passenger in a vehicular accident is considered free of liability for the accident, unless they committed an overt act that distracted the driver, or in any other way contributed to the accident. Additionally, if you get into a vehicle knowing that the driver is intoxicated, you may have “assumed the risk” of being in an accident.
If you are a passenger and you are injured in a vehicular accident, you may receive compensation for your injuries. Be sure that you see a doctor immediately. You may have a claim against all negligent parties, which can include the driver of the car you were riding in when the accident occurred, as well as the drivers of other vehicles involved.
It is vitally important that get as much information about the circumstances as possible – who was driving each car, what happened, the weather or road conditions, any witnesses, etc.
Contact our New Jersey passenger injury lawyers at DeZao & DeZao, P.C. at (973) 358-6134 to discuss your rights and legal options.
The Process of Filing a Passenger Injury Claim
Filing a passenger injury claim essentially involves a similar method to filing any other type of car accident claim. The only difference is that as a passenger, you have the ability to make the claim against both of the drivers, if the accident involved two vehicles.
It is important that you get insurance details from both of the drivers, and file the claim against each driver’s insurance company. Yet, there are exceptions. For example, if the accident gained no-fault status, you should go ahead and file a Personal Injury Protection (PIP), or no-fault claim against the driver, relative to your medical bills and lost earnings.
What Happens When There Are Multiple Passengers?
One potential issue with passenger injury cases is when you are not the only passenger. Say you are involved in a car accident with two other passengers. If all three of you file against the negligent driver, it may exceed the amount that his insurance can cover. This poses an issue, as each injured individual will need to settle for less than what the case is qualified for.
In this case, what this means for you is that you must take money out of your pockets to compensate for what the driver’s insurance cannot cover. All three passengers may also not agree on a specific amount that each one receives, and the driver himself may even file a suit to settle this matter.
What If the Passenger Is Partially Liable?
If in a rare case, you as the passenger are partly at fault for the accident, your recovery can be lowered by the proportionate share of blame that you had in the accident. Say your damages as a passenger total $50,000, and you were found to be at fault by 10 percent. The maximum recovery you may receive would be $45,000. You must cover the 10 percent of the accident that was your fault.
This specific example is dependent on the state you are living in, though most states maintain the same criteria. Other states may follow different procedures where no compensation is given to anyone who was even remotely liable for the incident.
New Jersey is a comparative negligence state. That means that you can still recover compensation even if the accident was partially your fault. If you are a passenger who was injured in a car accident, you may want to discuss your legal rights with an experienced lawyer. Contact us today to get help.
Call DeZao & DeZao, P.C. Today
The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Therefore, please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.
Injured in a car crash as a passenger? Give us a call at (973) 358-6134 to discuss your case with a

Client Testimonials
Read What Clients Have to Say About Our Firm
-
Office overall were nice, but the best is Veronica. She’s amazing, dedicated, knowledgeable—she absolutely cares about her clients. Every time I had a question, she would answer or return all my calls right away. Very efficient and helpful from start to finish of my case. She’s great; I highly recommend her. I will return in the future if I ever need legal assistance again. Thank you very much.Frescia D.
-
Guided me through the legal processes necessary to my case with clear and open communication. My confidence never wavered with DeZao & DeZao.Brandon W.
-
DeZao Law and their Associates helped my wife and I through a difficult time recently. From the very first call we made to them , right through to the very last detail of our case , they were responsive , helpful , thoughtful , extremely professional and always pleasant. They were available at all times and reached out to us often to check in and see how we were doing throughout the entire process. I can’t express how grateful we are to have had them by our side the entire time. They came through exactly as they had promised at the very beginning. We Absolutely recommend them to anyone who is in a situation where you’re not sure if you need representation or not. Give them a call. You will not regret it. Stellar review all around.Sean T.
-
My experience with DeZao Law Firm was spectacularly positive. I worked directly with Anthony DeZao, as well as with Megan McRoy. They both kept in touch with me every step of the way to let me know how the case was progressing. I trusted them with every decision that they made, and would recommend them without reservation for any additional legal help or guidance that I might need in the future.Barbara G.
-
I was referred to this firm by my husband and I could not be more thankful that he sent me to this office because the service was perfect. Valentina guided me throughout. I had a car accident and it was a very stressful time in my life. Valentina kept me calm and at ease during all this, and everyone else are very professional too. They were very compassionate and I could tell that they genuinely and truly wanted to help me and fight for me. I recommend them, actually I would be more than happy to recommend them. I know my family will recommend this office as well. They also helped out my husband’s son with his car accident and did a fantastic job for him too! Thanks for everything!Carmen D.
-
I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Law Offices of DeZao & DeZao for helping me with my legal needs. Especially attorney Margaret Meade and Valentina Failla, Paralegal/Case Manager. They were both instrumental in getting my matter resolved. They went out of their way to keep me informed and on top of al my legal needs. They both truly made this a wonderful experience.Jerry D.
-
I can't say enough about this office. It is absolutely amazing. They were quick, efficient and took care of all of my needs, and explained every detail as I went through this process. Yessica was absolutely amazing! She was professional and helpful. I'm so glad I chose this office!Crystal P.
-
I had a motor vehicle accident and this firm has been so patient with me throughout the 3 years of my case. Valentina and Rachel have really been a lot of help. They talked me through everything and helped me understand what was going on. I've had accidents before but nothing like this. My car was totaled. It was scary and DeZao & DeZao made made me feel at ease. They always got back to me. I am very satisfied with the outcome of my case and the services this office gave me. Also I LOVE their pens!Carol R.


Successful Results
Millions Recovered in Verdicts & Settlements
-
$2,000,000 Work Accident Case
-
$3,100,000 Motor vehicle Accident
-
$3,000,000 Bus Accident
-
$8,000,000 Motor Vehicle Accident
-
$2,000,000 Bus Accident

