Garfield Car Accident Lawyer Bergen County, New Jersey
If you were hurt in Hackensack, James Vasquez fights to get you every dollar you are owed. He has represented Bergen County's injured since 2004, and he knows this county seat's I-80, Route 4 and Route 17 corridors, its historic Hackensack River bridges, and the streets around Main Street and Hackensack University Medical Center.
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Not understanding it does not undo it
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In a town where a great many households speak Polish, Spanish or another language at home, this is the single most consequential thing that goes wrong after a collision, and it goes wrong quietly.
New Jersey courts apply a firm rule. In the absence of fraud or imposition, a person who fails to read a contract before signing it is nevertheless bound by its provisions, and is conclusively presumed to understand and assent to its terms and legal effect. Federal courts applying New Jersey law have held that even people who cannot read at all have been bound by what they signed, absent misrepresentation. Somebody signing in those circumstances is expected to know the contents or to have them made known to them. That means an argument that you did not speak English will not, by itself, undo a release. It is not a small point. A release signed early in a claim can end everything, and being unable to read it is not the escape people assume. There is a narrow route and it runs through what you were told rather than what you understood. Where somebody misrepresented what a document was, for instance describing it as covering only the damage to your car when it released your injury claim as well, that misrepresentation is the ground on which a release can be challenged. James Vasquez has handled New Jersey injury claims since 2004, and the firm works in English and Spanish.
Garfield car accident claims we take on
Language runs through several of these rather than being a category on its own.
Four moments to be careful
Each of these happens within days of a collision and each is difficult to undo.
The medical authorisation
A form permitting the insurer to obtain records, frequently drafted broadly enough to reach your entire medical history.
What to do: do not sign a blank or open form. Records relevant to this incident can be provided in a limited scope.
Any early offer
A figure offered while you are still being treated, with a release attached to it.
What to do: accepting is final. There is no route back once a valid release is signed, whatever you thought it covered.
The first phone call
An adjuster calls, is friendly, and asks to record your account of what happened.
What to do: you are not obliged to give one to the other driver's insurer, and you may say you will not answer questions yet. No explanation is required.
The property damage release
A document settling the damage to your car, offered quickly because everyone wants the vehicle dealt with.
What to do: read it or have it read. A document presented as a property settlement can be drafted to release other claims as well.
In each of these the safest answer is the same. Take the document, do not sign it, and have somebody explain it to you in a language you actually use.
Four things to understand
Unwelcome, and better known before signing than afterwards.
A signature binds you
Absent fraud or imposition, a person who signs without reading is bound by the provisions and is presumed to understand and assent to them.
Language is not an exception
Courts applying New Jersey law have bound people who could not read at all, absent misrepresentation. Not speaking English does not by itself void a release.
You are expected to have it explained
Someone signing in those circumstances is expected to know the contents or to have them made known, which means asking before rather than after.
Misrepresentation is the route
Where somebody described the document as something it was not, that is the ground on which a release can be challenged. What you were told matters more than what you understood.
If you have already signed something, keep the copy and write down who gave it to you, what they said it was, and whether anyone translated it. That account is the whole of the argument. For how car accident claims work statewide, see the car accident practice area page.
What you are entitled to ask for
Neither costs anything and both are routinely not offered.
Time, and an explanation you can follow
Nothing requires you to sign a document while somebody waits. You may take it away, have it explained in your own language, and return to it. An insurer that presses for a signature during a first telephone call is not doing anything improper, and you are equally entitled to decline until you understand what is in front of you. Where you have been asked to give a recorded statement, you may say you are not answering questions yet, and you do not have to justify that.
Interpreting in the court system
If a claim proceeds, the New Jersey courts provide interpreting services for civil proceedings at no cost to participants. Language should not determine whether a person injured by somebody else's negligence is compensated, and it does not have to. What it can determine is what happens in the first fortnight, before anyone is involved on your side, which is exactly when the documents arrive.
Three rules about signing
Confirm the position on your own facts, because whether a particular release binds you depends on the circumstances.
You are presumed to have understood
In the absence of fraud or imposition, a party who fails to read a contract before signing is nevertheless bound by its provisions and is conclusively presumed to understand and assent to its terms and legal effect. Courts applying New Jersey law have applied this even to people unable to read.
The narrow route to challenge
Where a release was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation, for example by describing it as settling only property damage when it released an injury claim, that provides a ground to challenge it. The question is what was represented rather than what the signer privately understood.
Read what it actually covers
Resolving vehicle damage does not ordinarily end an injury claim, but that depends entirely on the wording. A document presented as a property settlement can be drafted to release other claims, which is why keeping a copy of whatever is signed matters.
Personal Injury Protection, the verbal threshold, the two year filing deadline and uninsured motorist claims are covered on the car accident practice area page and the Garfield personal injury page.
What to do in the first week
Four things, and the first one matters most.
Do not sign anything you cannot read
Take it away. Nothing requires you to sign while somebody waits, and there is no route back once a valid release is signed.
Keep a copy of everything
Every document you were given and every document you signed. If you already signed, the copy is where the argument starts.
Write down what you were told
Who gave you the document, what they said it was, and whether anybody translated it. Misrepresentation is the ground for challenging a release.
Decline the recorded statement for now
You are not obliged to give one to the other driver's insurer. Saying you will not answer questions yet is enough.
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James Vasquez
Before James Vasquez ever represented an injured person, he sat on the other side of the table. As a former prosecutor and insurance-defense attorney, he spent years learning exactly how these cases are won and lost.
Now he uses it for you. When adjusters and opposing counsel face James, they're facing someone who has read their playbook, argued in their courtrooms, and knows precisely where their arguments break.
Based in Clifton and serving Passaic, Morris, and Essex Counties, his firm gives every client James's personal attention, backed by a team that knows your file cold.
Answers, before you even call.
Anything else you’d like to know? Get in touch with our sales team and we’d be happy to discuss your questions.
Hear Our Clients’ Stories
James Vasquez was the first name everyone recommended. People told me he would make sure I was taken care of, and they were right. The team was friendly, professional, down to earth, and experienced. They handled everything, and all I had to do was listen, follow their guidance, and focus on my recovery. One of the best parts of the experience was working with the paralegal, John Velazquez. Whenever I had questions, he would stop what he was doing, sit down with me, and explain everything in detail. I never felt rushed, and I always felt that my concerns were fully answered. He helped me understand every step of the legal process, and I truly felt like I had a friend inside the firm."
Kraig Moultrie
Hear Our Clients’ Stories
After the accident at work, my health and my ability to work changed dramatically. I faced many challenges because I could no longer do the same things I used to do. Before receiving help, I was afraid because my health wasn't improving, and I didn't know what to do. The insurance company made things difficult, asking me questions I didn't know how to answer, and I felt lost and overwhelmed. Then I found this team, and from the very first conversation they gave me confidence and explained everything clearly. They guided me through the entire treatment process, helped me access the medical care I needed, and supported me every step of the way."
Martina Contreras
What it's actually like to work with us
We'll skip the sales pitch. This is what it's actually like to have James in your corner; straight from the people who've been there.
"Staff is very Friendly. They keep you informed on a regular basis. The Attorneys are the best. Would recommend this Law firm to anyone."
"James Vasquez is one of the best Lawyers. He knows what he's doing at all times, very Professional along with his staffs that entire office has very good attitude. He keeps you updated and gives good advise he did very good with my case and I highly recommend him. He deserves more than five stars!"
"James Vasquez and his team took care of my case like if it was their own. I was able to take care of my car accident case, and even during this pandemic. I never felt pressured, and they were definitely patient with my case."
"Throughout this process, James and I kept in touch via email, and he offered his guidance every step of the way."
"I would highly recommend anyone to hire him!"
"Mr. Vasquez was able to recover a good settlement for me and he recommended me to great medical professionals to help with my back and neck injuries."
James Vasquez was the first name everyone recommended. People told me he would make sure I was taken care of, and they were right. The team was friendly, professional, down to earth, and experienced. They handled everything, and all I had to do was listen, follow their guidance, and focus on my recovery. One of the best parts of the experience was working with the paralegal, John Velazquez. Whenever I had questions, he would stop what he was doing, sit down with me, and explain everything in detail. I never felt rushed, and I always felt that my concerns were fully answered. He helped me understand every step of the legal process, and I truly felt like I had a friend inside the firm."
After the accident at work, my health and my ability to work changed dramatically. I faced many challenges because I could no longer do the same things I used to do. Before receiving help, I was afraid because my health wasn't improving, and I didn't know what to do. The insurance company made things difficult, asking me questions I didn't know how to answer, and I felt lost and overwhelmed. Then I found this team, and from the very first conversation they gave me confidence and explained everything clearly. They guided me through the entire treatment process, helped me access the medical care I needed, and supported me every step of the way."
"Staff is very Friendly. They keep you informed on a regular basis. The Attorneys are the best. Would recommend this Law firm to anyone."
"James Vasquez is one of the best Lawyers. He knows what he's doing at all times, very Professional along with his staffs that entire office has very good attitude. He keeps you updated and gives good advise he did very good with my case and I highly recommend him. He deserves more than five stars!"
"James Vasquez and his team took care of my case like if it was their own. I was able to take care of my car accident case, and even during this pandemic. I never felt pressured, and they were definitely patient with my case."
"Throughout this process, James and I kept in touch via email, and he offered his guidance every step of the way."
"I would highly recommend anyone to hire him!"
"Mr. Vasquez was able to recover a good settlement for me and he recommended me to great medical professionals to help with my back and neck injuries."
James Vasquez was the first name everyone recommended. People told me he would make sure I was taken care of, and they were right. The team was friendly, professional, down to earth, and experienced. They handled everything, and all I had to do was listen, follow their guidance, and focus on my recovery. One of the best parts of the experience was working with the paralegal, John Velazquez. Whenever I had questions, he would stop what he was doing, sit down with me, and explain everything in detail. I never felt rushed, and I always felt that my concerns were fully answered. He helped me understand every step of the legal process, and I truly felt like I had a friend inside the firm."
After the accident at work, my health and my ability to work changed dramatically. I faced many challenges because I could no longer do the same things I used to do. Before receiving help, I was afraid because my health wasn't improving, and I didn't know what to do. The insurance company made things difficult, asking me questions I didn't know how to answer, and I felt lost and overwhelmed. Then I found this team, and from the very first conversation they gave me confidence and explained everything clearly. They guided me through the entire treatment process, helped me access the medical care I needed, and supported me every step of the way."
Mostly paperwork you already have.
Letters, forms, authorisations and any release, together with the envelopes and dates. The sequence matters as much as the documents.
Holds the crash report, including the insurance information exchanged and the officer's account of what was said at the scene.
The declarations page establishes your medical benefits, your tort option and your uninsured motorist coverage.
Hurt in New Jersey? Let's Talk.
James Vasquez gives injured people across New Jersey a free, no obligation case review. Tell us what happened and we'll walk you through your options and what your claim may be worth.
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