New Jersey Car Accident Settlement Calculator

New Jersey uses a 51% fault threshold for car accident claims. You can recover compensation as long as you are no more than 50% at fault — even in a perfectly even 50/50 split, you still receive half your damages. This is more permissive than states using a 50% bar, where equal fault results in zero recovery.

The statute of limitations for this type of claim in New Jersey is 2 years — in line with the national average of 2.7 years. This is a standard timeframe, but acting sooner preserves evidence and strengthens your position. Importantly, New Jersey recognizes a discovery rule, which can extend the filing window in cases where the harm was not immediately apparent.

As a no-fault auto insurance state, New Jersey requires you to file a claim with your own insurance company first under your personal injury protection (PIP) policy, regardless of who caused the accident. You can only file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver if your injuries meet New Jersey's serious injury threshold — typically involving significant disfigurement, permanent injury, or medical expenses exceeding the PIP limit. This two-step process means many minor car accident claims in New Jersey are resolved entirely through PIP, while serious injury cases proceed as traditional lawsuits.

New Jersey requires all drivers to carry minimum liability insurance of $35K per person / $70K per accident in bodily injury coverage and $25K in property damage coverage (commonly written as 35/70/25). These minimums are above the national average, providing somewhat better baseline protection for accident victims. New Jersey also requires uninsured motorist (UM) coverage of at least $35K per person, which protects you if the at-fault driver has no insurance. As a no-fault state, New Jersey also mandates personal injury protection (PIP) coverage of at least $15K.

New Jersey imposes a 90-day notice requirement for tort claims against government entities. If a government-owned vehicle caused your accident or a poorly maintained government road contributed to it, you must file a formal notice of claim well before the standard statute of limitations expires. Failure to provide timely notice is one of the most common reasons government tort claims are dismissed.