Route 20 / McLean Boulevard Accident Guide for Paterson, NJ

Route 20, known to nearly everyone in Paterson as McLean Boulevard, runs along the Passaic River as one of the city's busiest corridors, carrying local traffic alongside drivers cutting through to I-80 and Route 4.

It is also a road that has seen its share of serious crashes, from high speed single vehicle accidents to wrong way collisions late at night. If you were hurt in a crash on McLean Boulevard, understanding the road's specific hazards alongside New Jersey's rules on fault and deadlines makes a real difference in how your claim gets handled.

What Is Route 20 / McLean Boulevard?

Route 20 is a New Jersey state highway that runs about 4.15 miles along the west bank of the Passaic River in Paterson, locally known for its entire length as McLean Boulevard. It begins at an interchange with the Garden State Parkway, US Route 46 and Crooks Avenue on the Clifton and Paterson border, runs north as a four to six lane divided highway through residential and commercial sections of the city, and intersects both I-80 and Route 4 along the way before reaching its northern end at County Route 504.

Why Do Accidents Happen So Often Here?

McLean Boulevard functions as both a local Paterson street and a through route for drivers heading to I-80 and Route 4, and that mix creates real friction. Tailgating is a chronic issue on this congested corridor, and the road has also been the site of serious high speed crashes, including a documented head-on wrong way collision that investigators described as one of the most severe they had seen in the area. Several fatal single vehicle crashes have occurred overnight along the boulevard, often involving a driver leaving the roadway or striking a fixed object like a utility pole.

Attorney insight: A number of the most serious McLean Boulevard crashes I have reviewed happened overnight in single vehicle incidents. These cases often turn on speed, road conditions and whether signage or lighting played any role, which makes an early scene investigation especially important before conditions change.

Where Does the Road Get Especially Confusing?

At its northern end, McLean Boulevard transitions into a county maintained one way pair, with northbound traffic routed onto 1st Avenue and southbound traffic routed onto River Street and 2nd Avenue. Drivers unfamiliar with this configuration, particularly at night or in unfamiliar territory, can make sudden lane changes or wrong way turns right at the point where the road's character changes, which is a pattern worth flagging if your accident happened anywhere near that transition.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a McLean Boulevard Accident?

Liability typically starts with whichever driver caused the crash, whether through speeding, tailgating or a wrong way turn. Depending on the facts, a road design or signage issue at the one way transition, a maintenance failure or a defective traffic signal can also play a role, which is why I look closely at exactly where along the corridor a crash occurred before assuming the case is a straightforward driver-versus-driver dispute.

Do You Have to Report the Crash to Police?

Yes, if the crash caused any injury, death or more than 500 dollars in property damage. Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-130, a driver involved in such a crash must give notice to local police, county police or the State Police by the quickest means of communication, and must also submit a written report to the Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days if an officer does not already file one. Separately, N.J.S.A. 39:4-129 requires you to stop, exchange information and render reasonable assistance to anyone injured.

How Does Shared Fault Affect Your Claim?

You can still recover damages even if you share some of the blame, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, and you are barred from recovering entirely if you are found more than half responsible. New Jersey follows a modified comparative negligence rule under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1: if your damages total 100,000 dollars and you are found 20 percent at fault, your recovery drops to 80,000 dollars. Crashes near the one way transition or involving a disputed lane change often become fault disputes, which makes documenting the scene and gathering witness statements especially valuable.

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?

In most cases you have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. If a state or municipal entity's road design, signage or maintenance may have contributed to your crash, particularly near the one way transition at the northern end of the corridor, you generally must file a written notice of claim within 90 days under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act, far sooner than the standard two year deadline.

How Can a Lawyer Help After a Crash Here?

I focus early on pinpointing exactly where along McLean Boulevard a crash happened, since that location often determines whether a road design issue, a signage problem or simply another driver's negligence is the central question in the case. From there I gather police reports, witness statements and, where relevant, NJDOT records on the corridor, all on a no win no fee basis.

The Bottom Line

McLean Boulevard is one of Paterson's busiest and, in certain stretches, more hazardous roads, and a crash here can involve more than a simple two car dispute. Knowing exactly where the crash happened, understanding New Jersey's rules on shared fault and being aware of the shorter deadline that can apply when a government entity is involved all shape how much of your claim you can ultimately recover.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a crash on Route 20, McLean Boulevard or anywhere else in Passaic, Bergen, Essex or Morris County, I would be glad to review what happened and give you a straight answer on your options.