Garfield Motorcycle 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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What a following driver actually sees
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Rear end collisions are treated as routine until a motorcycle is involved. The signalling a bike presents is materially different from a car's, and so is what happens to the person on it.
A motorcycle typically carries a single array of running, brake and signal lights mounted around two to three feet above the ground. A passenger car presents separated left and right pairs at roughly three to four feet, augmented by a centre high mounted stop lamp that has been mandatory on passenger vehicles manufactured since 1986. So a motorcycle gives a following driver substantially less braking signal than any car built in the last four decades, from a lower position and in a single point rather than a spread. Depth perception compounds it. Viewed among larger vehicles, a motorcycle is perceived by a following driver as further away than it actually is, which distorts exactly the judgement a driver needs to make. And a rider who slows by downshifting or rolling off the throttle decelerates without the brake light illuminating at all, which is normal riding rather than anything careless. There is one more asymmetry. A motorcycle can stop faster than a car because of its weight and braking mechanics, so a driver keeping a normal car following distance behind a bike is already too close if the rider has to brake hard. James Vasquez has handled New Jersey injury claims since 2004, and the firm works in English and Spanish.
Rider claims we handle in Bergen County
Two different collisions get called the same thing.
Where Garfield riders get hit from behind
A dense city with a highway across it and three river crossings feeding traffic through.
The Passaic River crossings
Bridge approaches where traffic backs up without warning and a rider at the tail of a queue is the most exposed vehicle on the road.
What answers the defence: resting positions and damage establish whether the machine was stationary, which contradicts an account of a sudden stop.
Passaic Street and Palisade Avenue
Crossings where riders wait at the head or tail of a queue with nothing behind them but a single small lamp.
What answers the defence: signal timing records, which establish how long traffic had been stopped before the impact.
Dusk and wet conditions
Rain, glare and low light all reduce how well a following driver registers a single brake lamp at low level.
What answers the defence: that conditions requiring more care are the driver's problem, not the rider's. Speed must suit what can actually be seen.
Route 46
Traffic stopping abruptly at signals and jughandles while approaching vehicles are still travelling at highway speed.
What answers the defence: the duty to keep enough distance to stop applies whatever the vehicle ahead does. The question is following distance, not whether the stop was expected.
Midland Avenue and River Drive
Local arterials with turning traffic, deliveries and constant deceleration among vehicles of very different sizes.
What answers the defence: engine braking slows a bike without the light showing, which is ordinary riding and explains a deceleration a driver missed.
Outwater Lane
A connector carrying steady traffic where speed differentials build up behind slower vehicles and turning movements.
What answers the defence: the physical evidence of speed at impact, which a driver's estimate of their own speed rarely matches.
In each of these the rider is the only road user with no structure around them, which is why these collisions produce injuries out of all proportion to the impact speed.
Four differences that matter
None of these is an argument. They are characteristics of the machine.
One lamp, not three
A motorcycle presents a single array of brake and signal lights. A passenger car presents separated pairs plus a centre high mounted stop lamp, mandatory since 1986.
Lower and closer together
Motorcycle lighting sits around two to three feet above ground. Car lighting sits around three to four feet and is spread across the width of the vehicle.
It looks further away than it is
Viewed among larger vehicles, a motorcycle is perceived by a following driver as more distant than it actually is, distorting the judgement of closing distance.
It stops faster
A motorcycle can brake harder than a car of the same speed, so a driver keeping an ordinary car following distance is already too close.
Research also indicates that riders' baseline perception and response times are shorter than car drivers', which cuts against an assumption that a rider was slow to react. For how rider claims work statewide, see the motorcycle accident practice area page.
What the insurer will say, and the answer
Both are standard and neither shifts fault automatically.
That you stopped suddenly
This is the first argument in nearly every rear end rider claim. The answer is that a driver must keep enough distance to stop safely regardless of how quickly the vehicle ahead brakes. A sudden stop for traffic ahead, a hazard, debris or a signal change is a legitimate reason to brake hard. So the question is whether the following driver was too close, not whether your stop was expected. Where you were already stationary in a queue, the account collapses entirely, and resting positions and damage patterns establish that.
That you were in their blind spot
Also standard, and also limited. A driver is required to look before changing lanes and to be aware of what is around the vehicle, and a motorcycle occupying a lane is entitled to be there. Where the collision happened while both vehicles were travelling in the same lane, the blind spot point does not describe anything. Where a lane change was involved, the obligation to check before moving is precisely what was not done.
Three rules about being struck from behind
One about distance, one about apportionment, one about equipment.
Following too closely
New Jersey requires a driver not to follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for speed, traffic and the condition of the highway. The obligation is to maintain a distance allowing a safe stop, and it does not depend on the vehicle ahead braking gently.
Shared fault reduces rather than bars
Expect an argument that your stop or your lane position contributed. New Jersey reduces a recovery by the percentage attributed to the injured person and bars it only where that share exceeds that of the party claimed against.
What the machine is required to carry
Motorcycle lighting requirements differ from those for passenger vehicles, which are required to carry a centre high mounted stop lamp on models manufactured since 1986. Whether a rider's lights were functioning is a question of fact worth establishing from the machine before it is disposed of.
The absence of medical benefits for riders, the two year filing deadline and uninsured motorist claims are covered on the motorcycle practice area page and the Garfield personal injury page.
What to secure
The machine answers most of what will be disputed.
Preserve the machine
Whether the brake light was functioning, and the damage pattern establishing whether it was stationary or moving at impact.
Photograph the resting positions
Where the machine and the vehicle ended up establishes the sequence far better than either account of it.
Request footage quickly
Premises along Route 46 and the arterials record continuously and overwrite within days without a written request.
Get assessed even if you walked away
A rider thrown from a machine sustains injuries that present later, and a gap in treatment is the argument every adjuster reaches for.
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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."
Physical evidence first, and it does not last.
Holds the crash report and diagram, including resting positions and any summons issued for following too closely.
Holds the machine, including whether the brake light was working and what the damage says about whether it was stopped. Yards sell to auction.
Camera systems record continuously and overwrite within days, and footage of the approach settles what accounts cannot.
Civil suits arising from Bergen County collisions are filed with the Civil Division at 10 Main Street in Hackensack.
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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