Five Causes of Car Accidents in Sussex and Morris Counties

Sussex County car accident lawyer provides reliable counsel

A serious car accident can put you tens of thousands of dollars in debt and leave you with chronic, debilitating pain. If another party is to blame, you deserve compensation, but you can’t get what you deserve by pure conjecture. You need to prove your case by a preponderance of the evidence. As an attorney for more than 25 years and as one of the few civil trial lawyers certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, I have vast experience proving the causes of motor vehicle accidents. And because I am passionate about justice for injured motorists, I am prepared to help you overcome this hurdle and obtain the maximum amount of compensation possible for your case.

Common causes of motor vehicle accidents in Sussex and Morris counties

Although Sussex and Morris counties are not densely populated, several major traffic arteries traverse these areas, creating a congested, high-speed daily commute. Accidents are not uncommon on I-80, I-I-287, U.S. 206, and Routes 23 and 15. In 2015, according to statistics from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, Sussex County was the scene of 3,232 reported auto accidents, producing 741 injuries and nine fatalities. In more populous Morris County, there were 14,068 crashes, causing 2,768 injuries and 21 deaths. Some of the most common causes of car accidents are:

• Distracted driving — New Jersey has a strict cellphone usage law, yet cellphone usage was cited as a factor in more than 3,500 crashes in 2015, which produced about 1,600 injuries and killed five people. Of course, cellphones are not the only source of distraction for drivers: adjusting the stereo, reaching for objects, eating, drinking, grooming, and interacting with passengers are also substantial distractions that lead to crashes.
• Weather and road conditions — It’s understandable that commuters feel they have to get to work even when driving conditions are not optimal. But too few drivers adjust to the conditions. Prudent drivers wait out downpours, slow down when roads are slick, and increase their following distance when visibility and traction are poor. Negligent drivers continue as if it’s 78 and sunny, putting themselves and others at risk.
• Drunk driving —New Jersey has some of the strictest drunk driving laws in the country, and this accounts for us having one of the lowest rates of death due to alcohol-impaired driving. Still, 20 percent of all traffic fatalities in the Garden State are caused by drunk driving.
• Unsafe speed — Speeding is one of the leading causes of fatal car accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 18 percent of roadway fatalities in New Jersey result from excessive speed. That is well below the national average of 28 percent.
• Tailgating — Aggressive driving, typified by following too closely, often leads to rear-end collisions when the lead car has to brake suddenly for one reason or another.

From the moment an accident occurs, you have to think of the legal case to follow and how you might prove causation. This is difficult to manage, especially when you’ve been seriously hurt. That’s why it’s important to retain an experienced Morris County car accident attorney immediately. The sooner you call, the sooner I can go to work preserving the evidence you need to win your case.

Trust a board-certified trial lawyer for your car accident case

If you’ve been hurt in a motor vehicle accident in Morris County or Sussex County, you can trust Kevin T. Kutyla, Esq. to fight aggressively for the maximum compensation possible. For more than 25 years, I have delivered positive results for injured motorists, passengers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians. Call 862-354-8931 or contact me online to schedule an appointment. In addition to my office at 15 Commerce Boulevard in Succasunna, I have a Newton office at 93 Spring Street, across from the Newton Green.