New Jersey no-fault law can sometimes be challenging and confusing. Unfortunately, most times people come to us after they have chosen the type of coverage that they want in their automobile insurance. We recommend that people consult an attorney prior to choosing the options on their automobile insurance because it’s important that you protect yourself and protect your family.
First and foremost, you want to make sure you have applicable liability coverage, in case you’re in an accident and you’re sued. The minimum requirement is $15,000 of coverage in New Jersey. You should consider having higher coverage. Other options you need to know about are medical bill or PIP, personal injury protection, options.
In New Jersey, if you’re injured in a car accident, under a no-fault system your insurance company is responsible to pay your medical bills, no matter whose fault the accident is. Other options are property damage coverage, rental coverage, lost wage or temporary disability coverage. Most people when they take out insurance want to try to keep their insurance rates at a reasonable amount. What they sometimes don’t understand is that by keeping your insurance coverages low, you are often giving up rights that you might have or protections that you might have for you and your family, which leads me to the final topic, which is the threshold that you choose.
In New Jersey, there are two different thresholds: the verbal threshold and the zero threshold. The verbal threshold, also known as the lawsuit threshold, limits your ability to sue and make a claim for your certain types of injuries. Permanent injuries that have been proven by objective medical evidence that haven’t got better as a result of medical treatment, and then more clear cut injuries, fractures, loss of a fetus, and certainly if someone has killed in an accident. Usually, the issue is whether you’ve suffered a permanent injury and that’s the verbal threshold limitation, which is the cheaper coverage.
The more expensive coverage is the zero threshold, or no lawsuit limitation. If you’re injured in an accident, no matter how insignificant your injuries are, you have a right to make a recovery for those injuries, assuming it wasn’t your fault. If you have a question about the type of cover that you should get to protect you and your family, you really should consult an attorney.
The law firm of Mattleman, Weinroth & Miller, P.C., is composed of experienced personal injury attorneys throughout the state of New Jersey. Please contact the office for a free initial consultation and get any questions answered regarding your specific case.