Accident Settlement Calculator

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New Jersey Car Accident Settlement Calculator

In New Jersey, you generally have 2 years to file an injury lawsuit, you recover nothing if more than 50% at fault, and drivers must carry at least $35,000/$70,000 in injury liability; it is a no-fault state, so your own PIP pays first. Enter your numbers below to see what a New Jersey claim may be worth and what you would actually take home.

New Jersey changed its minimum insurance on January 1, 2026. $35,000 / $70,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage on Standard Policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026; UM/UIM must match. The Basic Policy is unchanged. This calculator already applies the new rule. See all recent changes
1

Your accident

How serious is the injury?
2

Your costs so far

That's all you need for a first estimate. Rough numbers are fine.

Optional: make the estimate more accurate fault, insurance, lawyer fee
3

Fault and future costs

4

Insurance

5

What comes out of it

New Jersey rules in 30 seconds

If you were partly at faultYou get nothing if you are more than 50% at fault
Details & exceptions

New Jersey uses modified comparative negligence: an injured person can recover as long as their negligence is not greater than the negligence of the person against whom recovery is sought, or the combined negligence of those persons (so 50 percent or less), with damages reduced by their percentage of fault. At 51 percent or more, they recover nothing (N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1).

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Deadline to file a lawsuit2 years from the accident
Details & exceptions

N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a): 2 years for 'an injury to the person caused by the wrongful act, neglect or default of any person'. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1(a): 6 years for 'any tortious injury to real or personal property'. Claims against public entities (Tort Claims Act): notice of claim within 90 days after the claim accrues (N.J.S.A. 59:8-8). Suit may be filed once 6 months have passed after the entity receives the notice, and the claim is barred once 2 years have passed since accrual. Damages for pain and suffering against public entities are available only for permanent loss of a bodily function, permanent disfigurement, or dismemberment where medical expenses exceed $3,600 (N.J.S.A. 59:9-2(d)).

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Other driver's minimum insurance$35,000 per person, $70,000 per accident
Details & exceptions

Property damage minimum: $25,000. P.L.2022, c.87 (signed Aug. 5, 2022) raised the Standard policy minimums in two steps. Policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2023 needed 25/50/25 (previously 15/30/5). Policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026 need 35/70/25 (DOBI Bulletin 25-06, July 31, 2025, and the 2026 DOBI Buyer's Guide). The Act does not apply to the Basic policy (N.J.S.A. 39:6A-3.1), which requires no bodily injury liability coverage. The Basic policy offers $10,000 per accident for all persons as an option, and includes $5,000 property damage liability and $15,000 PIP (up to $250,000 for certain severe injuries).

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Who pays your medical billsYour own medical benefits first, then the at-fault driver
Details & exceptions

Standard policy holders choose a lawsuit option (N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8). The 'Limitation on Lawsuit' (verbal threshold) option bars suits for noneconomic loss (pain and suffering) unless the injury results in death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement or significant scarring, displaced fractures, loss of a fetus, or a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability (one where the body part or organ 'has not healed to function normally and will not heal to function normally with further medical treatment'). The plaintiff must serve a physician's certification based on objective clinical evidence within 60 days after the defendant answers (39:6A-8(a)). The 'No Limitation on Lawsuit' option keeps an unlimited right to sue for pain and suffering. The Basic policy always carries the limited right to sue, and DOBI states the limited option is imposed by law when no choice is made on the coverage selection form. Economic damages beyond PIP can be sued for under either option. PIP pays medical expenses regardless of fault, at a minimum of $15,000 per person per accident (up to $250,000 for certain permanent or significant brain, spinal cord or disfigurement injuries regardless of the limit selected). Standard policies offer PIP up to $250,000 or more.

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Cap on pain and sufferingNo cap for typical car accident claims
Details & exceptions

No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. New Jersey has no dollar cap on noneconomic damages in auto injury cases. Instead, the verbal threshold (Limitation on Lawsuit option) bars pain-and-suffering claims entirely unless the injury meets one of the listed categories (see no_fault). Suits against public entities under the Tort Claims Act allow pain and suffering only for permanent loss of a bodily function, permanent disfigurement or dismemberment with medical expenses over $3,600 (N.J.S.A. 59:9-2(d)). That is a threshold, not a dollar cap.

Uninsured motorist coverageRequired
Details & exceptions

N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(a): except for a Basic policy, no auto liability policy may be issued without uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage at the minimum liability limits. Those limits are $25,000/$50,000 for policies issued or renewed from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2025, and $35,000/$70,000 from Jan. 1, 2026, plus UM property damage coverage ($25,000 aggregate, with a $500 per-insured exclusion). Higher UM/UIM limits must be offered as an option to Standard policy holders (17:28-1.1(b)). The Basic policy has no UM/UIM coverage, and the statute's definition of 'uninsured motor vehicle' excludes a vehicle covered by a Basic policy.

Worked example: a typical New Jersey car accident claim

Another driver turned left into you at an intersection in New Jersey: $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury that healed in a few months. The insurer says you were 20% at fault for speeding slightly, the other driver has a $100,000 policy, and your lawyer takes 33%. We assume your injury meets the state's serious-injury threshold.

  1. Economic damages$20,000Medical bills + expected future treatment + lost wages.
  2. Left after your own PIP pays$5,000New Jersey uses choice no fault insurance. Your own coverage pays up to $15,000 of economic losses, which is not claimed again from the at-fault driver.
  3. Pain and suffering$20,000 – $40,000Multiplier method: economic damages × 2–3 for a moderate injury, minus the economic part itself.
  4. Total claim value$25,000 – $45,000Economic + pain and suffering.
  5. After your share of fault$20,000 – $36,000New Jersey uses modified comparative negligence (51% bar): you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault; otherwise recovery is reduced by your 20%.
  6. Limited by available insurance$20,000 – $36,000At-fault policy limit $100,000 + your UM/UIM $0.
  7. Estimated take-home$12,400 – $23,120Minus attorney fee (33%), case costs and medical liens.

You would take home about $17,760 ($12,400 – $23,120), after the 33% fee and $1,000 in case costs, on top of the $15,000 your own PIP pays.

Typical figures (midpoint of a moderate injury multiplier), no medical liens. Run your own numbersor see the same crash in every state.

How much time do you have to file?

General personal injury deadline only. It can be shorter for claims against a city, county or state agency (often a written notice within months), and longer for minors. Check with a lawyer before relying on it.

Deadline traps in New Jersey

The 2-year lawsuit deadline is not the only clock. These are the ones people miss:

Crash with a government vehicle or on a public road90 days

File a written notice of claim with the State or the local public entity within 90 days of the crash. You may sue only 6 months after the notice is received, and within 2 years. A judge may allow late notice within 1 year for extraordinary circumstances.

N.J.S.A. 59:8-8, Time for presentation of claimsN.J.S.A. 59:8-9, Notice of late claim

If the injured person is a child

The 2-year clock is paused until the child turns 18, so a child usually has until age 20 to sue a private driver.

N.J.S.A. 2A:14-21, Disability of minority or mental incapacity

How fast a New Jersey insurer must respond

New Jersey's claim rules require insurers to acknowledge within 10 working days, investigate within 10 working days, and generally resolve third-party injury claims within 90 days (property damage 45 days) of notice, then pay agreed settlements within 10 working days.

N.J.A.C. 11:2-17.6, Reply to communicationsN.J.A.C. 11:2-17.7, Time period for investigation, payment and denial of claims

If an insurer misses these deadlines, you can file a complaint with the state insurance department. Compare all states:insurance claim deadlines by state.

Next steps after a New Jersey crash

How no-fault insurance affects a New Jersey claim

In New Jersey, your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays your medical bills and lost wages first, regardless of who caused the crash. You can generally pursue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering only if your injury meets the state's threshold. Tick the threshold box in the calculator if that applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical car accident settlement in New Jersey?
It depends on the bills, the injury and fault. Worked example: with $15,000 in medical bills, $5,000 in lost wages and a moderate injury, 20% of the fault and your own PIP paying first, a New Jersey claim against the other driver is worth about $28,000, and the injured person takes home about $17,760 after a 33% attorney fee and costs. At 51% fault, the same claim pays nothing in New Jersey.
Is New Jersey an at-fault or no-fault state for car accidents?
New Jersey's car insurance system: Choice no-fault. Standard policy holders choose a lawsuit option (N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8). The 'Limitation on Lawsuit' (verbal threshold) option bars suits for noneconomic loss (pain and suffering) unless the injury results in death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement or significant scarring, displaced fractures, loss of a fetus, or a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability (one where the body part or organ 'has not healed to function normally and will not heal to function normally with further medical treatment'). The plaintiff must serve a physician's certification based on objective clinical evidence within 60 days after the defendant answers (39:6A-8(a)). The 'No Limitation on Lawsuit' option keeps an unlimited right to sue for pain and suffering. The Basic policy always carries the limited right to sue, and DOBI states the limited option is imposed by law when no choice is made on the coverage selection form. Economic damages beyond PIP can be sued for under either option. PIP pays medical expenses regardless of fault, at a minimum of $15,000 per person per accident (up to $250,000 for certain permanent or significant brain, spinal cord or disfigurement injuries regardless of the limit selected). Standard policies offer PIP up to $250,000 or more.
Is there a cap on pain and suffering in New Jersey car accident cases?
No general cap for typical car accident injury claims. New Jersey has no dollar cap on noneconomic damages in auto injury cases. Instead, the verbal threshold (Limitation on Lawsuit option) bars pain-and-suffering claims entirely unless the injury meets one of the listed categories (see no_fault). Suits against public entities under the Tort Claims Act allow pain and suffering only for permanent loss of a bodily function, permanent disfigurement or dismemberment with medical expenses over $3,600 (N.J.S.A. 59:9-2(d)). That is a threshold, not a dollar cap.
What happens if I was partly at fault for an accident in New Jersey?
New Jersey follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar: you recover nothing if you are 51% or more at fault, and otherwise your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in New Jersey?
Generally 2 years for personal injury and 6 years for property damage. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2(a): 2 years for 'an injury to the person caused by the wrongful act, neglect or default of any person'. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1(a): 6 years for 'any tortious injury to real or personal property'. Claims against public entities (Tort Claims Act): notice of claim within 90 days after the claim accrues (N.J.S.A. 59:8-8). Suit may be filed once 6 months have passed after the entity receives the notice, and the claim is barred once 2 years have passed since accrual. Damages for pain and suffering against public entities are available only for permanent loss of a bodily function, permanent disfigurement, or dismemberment where medical expenses exceed $3,600 (N.J.S.A. 59:9-2(d)).
What is the minimum car insurance in New Jersey?
$35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. P.L.2022, c.87 (signed Aug. 5, 2022) raised the Standard policy minimums in two steps. Policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2023 needed 25/50/25 (previously 15/30/5). Policies issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026 need 35/70/25 (DOBI Bulletin 25-06, July 31, 2025, and the 2026 DOBI Buyer's Guide). The Act does not apply to the Basic policy (N.J.S.A. 39:6A-3.1), which requires no bodily injury liability coverage. The Basic policy offers $10,000 per accident for all persons as an option, and includes $5,000 property damage liability and $15,000 PIP (up to $250,000 for certain severe injuries).
What is the deadline to file a claim against the government in New Jersey?
90 days. File a written notice of claim with the State or the local public entity within 90 days of the crash. You may sue only 6 months after the notice is received, and within 2 years. A judge may allow late notice within 1 year for extraordinary circumstances.
How long does an insurance company have to respond to a claim in New Jersey?
New Jersey's claim rules require insurers to acknowledge within 10 working days, investigate within 10 working days, and generally resolve third-party injury claims within 90 days (property damage 45 days) of notice, then pay agreed settlements within 10 working days.

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