Who Pays for Car Repairs When The Other Driver Is At Fault in NJ?

When involved in an accident, most people want to know who covers the cost of their vehicle's repairs. Is the car damage the responsibility of the driver who is at fault? Or, is it the responsibility of your own insurance? The answer is contingent upon various factors, such as the liability of the involved parties and the extent of insurance coverage.

What about New Jersey's no-fault rules? We will answer these questions below. But, your insurance provider will normally cover the cost of your auto repairs, less any applicable deductible, if you are at fault for an accident and your policy includes collision coverage.

At Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney at Law, our NJ car accident attorneys can assist you if you have questions or if you have been involved in a car accident in NJ and been injured. With our extensive knowledge, we can make the difference between receiving the money you are entitled to and an unfair settlement or claim denial.

Who Is Responsible for Car Repairs When the Other Party Is At Fault?

There are options available to you if you have collision coverage and the car accident was not your fault. The first option is to have the damages to your car covered by your own insurance. Attempting to contact the other driver's insurance provider is the second choice.

It is generally preferable to work with your own insurance provider. In this sense, the insurance company you pay premiums should represent your interests as a client. Even though there might be a deductible involved, you can always try to get the at fault driver's insurance company to reimburse you for the money you paid out of pocket. Through a subrogation claim, your insurance company will pursue payment from the at fault driver's insurance provider for the money paid on your behalf.

Attempting to adjust your property damage claim via the insurance of the other driver is the alternative. This insurance company will send an adjuster to evaluate your car to see if it can be fixed or if it is a total loss. This insurance company may offer you money for the repairs or arrange for the vehicle to be fixed at one of their "approved" repair shops if they determine that your vehicle can be fixed. They might just write you a check for the car's estimated value at the time of loss if it is totaled.

Both options have their pros and cons. The benefit of having the other driver's insurance company cover the cost of your car damage is that there won't be a deductible for you to pay. Furthermore, the other insurer may cover the cost of a rental car while your car is being repaired. When you have your own insurance company to cover the losses is that you have rights under the policy that you won't have when working with someone else's insurance company, including a speedy and reasonably priced dispute resolution process.

What About New Jersey's No-Fault Laws?

Although no-fault insurance benefits are intended to conveniently cover medical expenses related to injuries received in a car accident in New Jersey, they do not cover property damage. This means that the driver who caused the accident is liable for any property damage.

Minimum insurance requirements for New Jersey

In New Jersey, the required minimum coverage for auto insurance is $15,000/$30,000/ $5,000. If you carry the minimum required insurance coverage, your limits for physical injuries in the event of an accident are $15,000 per person, up to a maximum of $30,000 per incident. Additionally, it pays up to $5,000 for property damage.

Call Us At Brandon J. Broderick, Attorney At Law For a Free Consultation

If you have been hurt in a car accident, handling your own case is the last thing you should do. Allow us to represent you and recover the compensation you deserve.

Brandon J. Broderick, Personal Injury Attorney at Law has experience in helping car accident victims in New Jersey. We have assisted individuals in recovering compensation from hard to deal with insurance companies.

Get in touch with us today to schedule a free consultation with a NJ car accident attorney.

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