What Is a No-Fault Insurance Claim and How Does the Process Work?
The ability to drive legally in New Jersey is a two-step process. First, you have to prove you have car insurance in case you’re ever in an accident. Once you’ve secured your auto insurance, you must register your car with the state. If a police officer has ever pulled you over, you’ve probably noticed they ask not only for your driver’s license, but also your vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Driving without one or the other—or both can land you in a lot of trouble.
In terms of car insurance, New Jersey is one of about a dozen states in the U.S. that follows a no-fault coverage model. No-fault insurance covers medical expenses for car accident victims, regardless of who was at-fault. This coverage is designed to provide car accident victims with medical care access without having to worry about the bills. This structure is also meant to streamline injury claims, reduce time to payment and ultimately aid the injured faster and with less hassle.
Don’t mistake “no-fault” insurance for “no blame,” however. Fault can and will be assigned after a car accident. This insurance just guarantees payment for car accident-related injuries regardless of who caused the incident.
In New Jersey, this medical coverage is provided through personal injury protection (PIP). It can also provide reimbursement for expenses related to injuries sustained during a car accident, such as income continuation or hiring someone to take care of your home or family while you recover. according to the New Jersey Auto Insurance Buyer’s Guide. Drivers in the Garden State must carry at least carry at least $15,000 of PIP coverage, per person, per accident on their car insurance policy
New Jersey drivers can opt-out of no-fault insurance, reject PIP and instead choose the “unlimited right to sue” insurance. Getting into a car accident with someone who’s opted-out of PIP could result in a long personal injury process, leaving you waiting months, or even a year, for your settlement.
If you cannot afford to wait after a car accident, apply for pre-settlement funding with Bridgeway Legal Funding and buy the time you and your attorney need in order to fight for the full settlement you deserve.
Is New Jersey a No-Fault Insurance State?
New Jersey is a no-fault state but uses a “choice” no-fault insurance system. This allows New Jersey drivers to opt out of the state’s no-fault rules, but they then have to buy PIP insurance to cover their own medical expenses if they’re in a car accident.
Drivers who opt for no-fault coverage are limited in their ability to sue after a car accident. Injuries that they can sue for include:
• Displaced fracture
• Loss of limb
• Permanent disfigurement
• Loss of a fetus
• Permanent injury
• Death
Who Can Receive No-Fault Benefits?
Under New Jersey’s No-Fault system, those covered and eligible for benefits include:
• Driver/insured
• Passengers in the car if they don’t have their own coverage
• Family members who live in the household
Who Cannot Receive No-Fault Benefits?
PIP, or no-fault insurance, does have coverage limits. Here are some examples of individuals and/or instances that no-fault insurance would not cover:
• Injuries to pedestrians (their insurance should cover them)
• Medical costs that exceed your coverage
• Vehicle and/or property damage
• Injuries to other drivers or their passengers (the other driver’s PIP or no-fault insurance cover their medical expenses.
What Kind of Benefits Can I Receive from a No-Fault Insurance Claim?
Since New Jersey is a no-fault state, you could be eligible for the following benefits in the event you’re in a car accident:
• Coverage for eligible medical expenses (rehabilitation, medical bills, treatments)
• Paid lost wages if you can’t work because of accident-related injuries
• Payment for essential service benefits or services that you could perform before you were injured in a car accident
• Death benefits and paid funeral expenses
If you’re injured in a car accident, receiving these benefits as quickly as possible is crucial to your financial and overall well-being. The longer you have to wait, the longer you could be burdened with increasingly high expenses following the accident.
Rather than waiting indefinitely for your no-fault benefits, contact Bridgeway Legal Funding to apply for a non-recourse cash advance (sometimes referred to as a lawsuit loan or pre-settlement funding). We can help you get an advance on your settlement money so you’re not stuck paying out of pocket while you wait for compensation.
Get the cash you need now after your car accident from Bridgeway Legal Funding
A pre-settlement advance or “lawsuit loan” from Bridgeway can generally get you 10-20% of your future settlement value now and you only have to pay the money back if you win your case.
After a bad accident, you need time and money to recover. If you have been waiting too long to get the money you need & move on after an accident in New York, apply for a cash advance now with our team at Bridgeway Legal Funding.