Herniated disc car accident lawyer Paterson

The first document that matters in a Paterson disc claim is not a scan. It is the declarations page of the automobile policy covering you, because the option selected on it decides whether a claim for pain and suffering can be brought at all. Most people cannot say which option they hold, and many were never the ones who chose it. Establishing that comes before anything else in a New Jersey automobile injury claim. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. has practiced since 1997 and Mr. Sris is admitted in New Jersey. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747.

On This Page

What This Injury Is Worth Here

This firm does not quote figures for a disc injury and no reliable one exists before treatment concludes. The medical drivers are the imaging findings and whether nerve root involvement is documented, the correlation with examination findings, how far treatment escalated, and the occupational effect. Sitting above all of them is the policy election. Where the limitation on lawsuit option is in force, N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8(a) permits a pain and suffering claim only where the injury falls within the statutory categories — most often, for a disc case, the permanency category, which requires objective medical evidence that a body part has not healed and will not heal to normal function. Economic loss is treated separately and is not restricted in the same way.

Which Court Your Claim Is Filed In

Civil injury claims are filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Civil Part, in the vicinage covering Passaic County. Lower-value claims are heard in the Special Civil Part of the same court under a simplified procedure. Where a public entity or a public employee is involved, a Tort Claims Act notice requirement under N.J.S.A. 59:8-8 applies in addition and runs far ahead of the deadline for filing suit.

What to Do Before You Talk to the Adjuster

Get the declarations page for every policy that might cover you, including a household member’s, before any conversation about settlement. Then build the objective record: prompt imaging where clinically indicated, radiating pain and numbness documented rather than back pain alone, measured range-of-motion findings recorded over time, and continuous treatment. Photograph vehicle damage before repair and request nearby surveillance in writing at once. Decline a recorded statement until you understand the claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find out which option my policy has?

From the declarations page, not the insurance card and not memory. Obtain it for every policy that may cover you, including a relative’s policy in the same household, because the election under the policy covering you is what governs. It is the first document to gather in a New Jersey automobile claim.

What does the permanency category require?

Objective medical evidence that a body part or organ has not healed to function normally and will not heal to function normally with further treatment, established within a reasonable degree of medical probability. Pain alone does not satisfy it. Imaging, electrodiagnostic studies and reproducible measured findings are what do.

If I do not meet the threshold, is there nothing to claim?

No. The restriction applies to pain and suffering. Economic loss — medical costs, wage loss and out-of-pocket expenses — is treated separately. Whether the threshold is met should also be assessed on the medical evidence rather than conceded on the insurer’s say-so.

About Mr. Sris

Mr. Sris is the owner and founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., which has practiced since 1997. He is a former prosecutor and is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York. Of Counsel attorneys contract directly with the firm and handle matters alongside him.

Speak With Mr. Sris

The option on your declarations page decides what can be claimed, and permanency is established with objective findings rather than reported pain. Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.

Last reviewed: August 24, 2026.

Attorney Advertising. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., principal office: 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032. By appointment. Call (888) 437-7747 to schedule.

The information on this page is general and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading it or by contacting the firm. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Attorney responsible for this advertising: Mr. Sris.