A motorcycle crash can cause serious physical injuries, medical expenses, missed work, and uncertainty about what comes next. If another driver’s conduct caused your injuries, an NJ motorcycle accident lawyer can investigate what happened, identify available sources of compensation, and handle communications with insurers.
At Reinartz Law, we approach each motorcycle accident claim by examining the evidence, the applicable New Jersey laws, the available insurance coverage, and the injuries involved. Our goal is to give you a clear understanding of your legal options and manage the legal work so you can dedicate time to healing.
Call us at 201-289-8614 for a free case review to talk through what happened and what your options are.
Why Injured Riders Choose Reinartz Law Firm
Choosing legal representation after a motorcycle crash means choosing someone to handle the legal and insurance issues while you focus on your recovery.
At Reinartz Law Firm, the Jersey City motorcycle accidents we have handled range from intersection collisions to highway crashes involving commercial vehicles. Our founding attorney has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in high-stakes litigation, which shapes how we read the way an insurer is likely to evaluate and defend a claim.
Our recoveries include $400,000 for a rider injured in a collision, $375,000 in a case involving street racers, and $200,000 in a serious injury claim. Results may vary. Prior case outcomes do not guarantee similar results.
If your motorcycle accident happened in Hackensack or Bergen County, our office sits at Court Plaza South, West Wing, 21 Main St., Suite 205, minutes from the Bergen County courthouses. Route 4, Route 17, and Interstate 80 converge in this part of the county, and the intersection collisions those roads produce are a large share of what we see.
If you are looking for a motorcycle accident lawyer New Jersey riders can contact from Hackensack, call us at 201-289-8614 for a free case review of your crash and the coverage available to you.
How Can a New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Attorney Help?
A New Jersey motorcycle accident attorney can investigate the crash, collect evidence, communicate with insurance companies, and pursue legal recovery through a claim or lawsuit when appropriate.
Motorcycle accident cases can involve photographs, traffic-camera footage, police reports, medical records, witness accounts, vehicle damage, roadway evidence, and insurance policies. Our team can examine these materials to develop a factual record of what happened and how the collision affected you.
Depending on the circumstances, we may:
- Investigate the crash and identify the vehicles and people involved.
- Obtain police reports, medical records, photographs, and other available evidence.
- Examine witness statements and available video footage.
- Assess whether another driver violated a traffic rule or otherwise acted negligently.
- Review applicable motorcycle and automobile insurance policies.
- Calculate economic losses, such as treatment expenses and lost income.
- Work with accident reconstruction professionals when needed.
- Assess non-economic losses, including pain, physical limitations, and emotional distress.
- Negotiate with insurers and pursue litigation when appropriate.
Each step builds the factual record the claim rests on. You stay informed throughout without having to manage the legal details yourself. If you were injured in a motorcycle crash, call 201-289-8614 for a free case review.
What Are the Most Common Causes of NJ Motorcycle Accidents?
The most common causes of NJ motorcycle accidents include drivers failing to see motorcycles, turning across a rider’s path, changing lanes into a motorcycle’s position, and opening vehicle doors into an approaching rider.
The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety reports that more than half of motorcycle crashes involving another vehicle happen at intersections, and more than two thirds happen when the other driver does not see the motorcycle.
Left-Turn Collisions
A left-turning vehicle can create a serious hazard when a driver crosses the path of an approaching motorcycle. These crashes may occur at intersections, driveways, parking lots, or other points where vehicles turn across traffic.
The available evidence may include traffic signals, roadway markings, vehicle positions, photographs, surveillance footage, and witness accounts. Establishing the sequence of events can help determine how the collision occurred.
Doorings
A dooring crash occurs when someone opens a vehicle door into the way of a motorcycle. This can happen when a vehicle is parked or stopped along a roadway.
These collisions can be particularly dangerous because the rider may have very little time or space to respond. Photographs of the vehicles and roadway, witness statements, and nearby video footage may help establish what happened.
Blind-Spot Lane Changes
A driver changing lanes may fail to see a motorcycle traveling nearby. Because motorcycles occupy less visual space than larger vehicles, a driver may not recognize the motorcycle’s position before moving across the rider’s path.
The investigation may consider the locations of the vehicles, lane markings, damage patterns, traffic conditions, and statements from people who observed the collision.
Intersections and Turning Vehicles
Intersections create additional opportunities for vehicles and motorcycles to cross paths. A driver may misjudge the motorcycle’s distance, fail to yield, or make a turn without adequately observing approaching traffic.
New Jersey’s highway safety information identifies intersections as a significant location for motorcycle crashes involving other vehicles.
If you were injured in one of these circumstances, contact a New Jersey motorcycle accident lawyer to discuss the available evidence and potential claims.
What Are New Jersey’s Motorcycle Laws?
New Jersey motorcycle laws address licensing, helmets, equipment, passenger requirements, lane use, and other aspects of riding on state roads. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission sets out the titling, registration, and endorsement rules that go with them. Understanding these rules can also help explain the circumstances surrounding a crash and whether an alleged violation had any connection to the collision.
New Jersey’s Universal Helmet Law
New Jersey requires motorcycle operators and passengers to wear approved protective helmets. Under N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7 the helmet must be securely fitted, properly sized, an approved type, equipped with a neck or chin strap, and reflectorized on both sides. The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General publishes a guide to identifying helmets that do not meet the federal standard.
A helmet issue does not automatically determine who caused a crash. The facts of the collision, the conduct of each person involved, and the injuries claimed all matter when assessing a motorcycle accident case.
Lane Splitting
New Jersey does not outlaw lane splitting by name, which surprises most riders. N.J.S.A. 39:4-88 requires a vehicle to be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and not to leave that lane until the driver has confirmed the movement can be made safely. Lane splitting is treated as a violation of that marked-lanes rule rather than of a motorcycle-specific ban.
The New Jersey Motorcycle Manual is more direct, instructing riders not to share lanes and not to ride between rows of stopped vehicles. If a collision happened while a rider was changing lanes, passing, or moving through congested traffic, the maneuver still gets examined on its own facts.
Motorcycle Equipment Requirements
New Jersey law establishes requirements for motorcycle equipment and safety features. Depending on the motorcycle and its configuration, these requirements can include headlights, rear lamps, stop lamps, turn signals, brakes, tires, mirrors, handlebars, footrests, mufflers, and other components.
A motorcycle’s equipment can become relevant to a crash investigation if a particular component allegedly affected visibility, braking, signaling, or the rider’s ability to control the motorcycle. The fact that a motorcycle had an equipment violation does not, by itself, establish that the violation caused a particular collision.
Passenger Requirements
New Jersey law also regulates motorcycle passengers. Motorcycles carrying passengers must be equipped with appropriate seating and footrests, and passengers must comply with applicable helmet requirements.
These rules matter when a passenger is injured because the circumstances of the passenger’s position on the motorcycle can become part of the factual investigation. The conduct of other motorists remains relevant when another vehicle contributed to the crash.
Insurance Requirements
New Jersey requires every registered motorcycle to carry liability insurance. Under Department of Banking and Insurance guidance, the minimum limits rose to $35,000 per person, $70,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage effective January 1, 2026. Riders still carrying the older minimums should confirm their policy was updated.
Motorcycle coverage differs from automobile coverage in a way that changes what a claim is worth. New Jersey's no-fault system, including personal injury protection, attaches to a standard automobile policy, and a motorcycle does not fall within the statutory definition of an automobile. A rider insured only under a motorcycle policy therefore carries no PIP and is generally not subject to the verbal threshold.
The verbal threshold, also called the limitation on lawsuit option, bars recovery for pain and suffering unless an injury meets one of several statutory categories. Riders routinely assume it applies to them, and for a motorcycle-only insured it generally does not. That single point can change the value of a claim more than any other fact about the coverage.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage carries extra weight for riders. UM applies when the at-fault driver has no liability insurance, and UIM applies when that driver has coverage but not enough to cover the losses. We review every potentially applicable policy after a serious collision, because the rider's own coverage is often the largest source available.
A New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Support Your Claim
“We don’t tolerate biker bias—from insurers, adjusters, or defense lawyers. Motorcyclists deserve the same justice as anyone else. We fight to see that they get it.”— Richard Reinartz
A serious motorcycle crash can leave you dealing with injuries, lost income, property damage, and difficult insurance questions. You do not have to handle the legal process alone.
At Reinartz Law Firm we represent injured riders throughout New Jersey from our Hackensack office. Call 201-289-8614 for a free case review and we will walk through the crash, the coverage available, and what your claim may involve.
FAQs: New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
These questions address issues that may arise after a New Jersey motorcycle crash but are not covered in the sections above.
What should I do immediately after a motorcycle accident in New Jersey?
If you are injured, seek appropriate medical attention and follow the advice of your healthcare provider. Importantly, if you are able, consider documenting the scene with photographs, and avoid discussing fault with the other driver or their insurance company.
How soon should I contact a motorcycle accident lawyer after a crash?
There is no need to wait until you have completed medical treatment before discussing your case with a lawyer. Evidence can change or become harder to obtain as time passes, so an early review can help identify information that may matter to the claim.
What if I was riding as a passenger when the motorcycle crashed?
A motorcycle passenger injured in a crash may have potential claims depending on how the collision occurred and the available insurance coverage. The passenger’s relationship to the rider, the other vehicles involved, and the applicable policies can affect the available options.
Does New Jersey’s verbal threshold apply to my motorcycle accident case?
Generally no, if your only coverage is a motorcycle policy. The verbal threshold bars recovery for pain and suffering unless an injury meets certain statutory categories, and it attaches to people required to carry automobile PIP. Because it follows the person, a motorcycle crash lawyer New Jersey riders hire should check whether a household auto policy applies.
What if the motorcycle accident occurred outside Bergen County?
At Reinartz Law, we serve injured motorcycle riders throughout New Jersey, not only those injured in Hackensack or Bergen County. The location of the crash can affect which court, government agency, roadway authority, or other entity may become involved in the case.
What if I'm partially at fault for my motorcycle accident?
Under New Jersey's modified comparative negligence rule at N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1, you can still recover as long as your share of fault is not greater than the fault of the party you are suing, or the combined fault of the parties when more than one is responsible. Your award is then reduced by your own percentage, so how that percentage gets set matters a great deal. Our motorcycle accident attorneys can challenge unsupported allegations of fault and present evidence on liability.
How much does it cost to speak with Reinartz Law about my NJ motorcycle accident case?
At Reinartz Law, we offer free consultations for motorcycle accident cases. During the consultation, you can walk through the circumstances of the crash with a New Jersey motorcycle accident lawyer. We will explain potential legal options and answer questions about how the firm handles these claims.
The Reinartz Law Firm - Hackensack Office
Court Plaza South - West Wing
21 Main St Suite 205,
Hackensack, NJ 07601
HEATHER F.
"Richard guided me in my suit and made me feel confident in my decisions during my entire case. He made recommendations that I otherwise, would not have known about."
