Legally Reviewed by Jae E. Lee on June 26, 2026
⚠ Time-Sensitive — New Jersey Law Limits Your Window to File
You have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury claim in New Jersey. Missing this deadline means permanently losing your right to compensation.
Jae Lee Law handles all truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis — no fees unless we recover compensation for you. We are proactive, not just responsive, and fully prepared to take your case to trial when insurers refuse to pay what you are owed.
Our Passaic County personal injury attorneys are ready to review your case at no cost and with no obligation to retain our services. Attorney Jae E. Lee has spent nearly three decades fighting for injured New Jerseyans and has recovered millions of dollars on their behalf. She is certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court, a recognition held by fewer than 3% of attorneys in the state, and our team brings more than 100 years of combined legal experience to every case we take.
Why Passaic County Roads Create Elevated Truck Accident Risk
Passaic County sits along one of New Jersey’s most active commercial freight corridors. Interstate 80 cuts through the county east to west, carrying tens of thousands of commercial vehicles each day between the Port of New York and New Jersey and distribution centers across the country. Route 3 in Clifton, Route 23 in Wayne, and the surface roads surrounding Paterson, Passaic, and Totowa all channel heavy vehicle traffic through densely populated areas.
When a fully loaded commercial truck — which can weigh up to 80,000 pounds — collides with a passenger vehicle, stopping distances, impact forces, and injury severity operate on an entirely different scale than standard car accidents. Crashes on I-80 near the interchange at Paterson and along the Route 3 commercial corridor in Clifton are among the most serious we see.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Passaic County
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets comprehensive regulations governing commercial trucking operations nationwide. When drivers or companies violate those rules, serious accidents follow. Our team investigates every potential source of negligence, including:
Hours-of-Service Violations
Federal rules cap the number of consecutive hours a commercial truck driver may operate. Fatigued driving caused by exceeding those limits is among the leading contributors to catastrophic truck crashes in New Jersey.
Distracted and Impaired Driving
Texting, GPS use, and drug or alcohol use behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle violate FMCSA regulations and New Jersey law. We subpoena phone records, dashcam footage, and toxicology reports when these factors are in play.
Improper Cargo Loading
Overloaded trailers and improperly secured freight shift during transit, causing jackknife accidents and rollovers that can involve multiple vehicles on busy Passaic County roadways.
Negligent Vehicle Maintenance
Brake failures, blown tires, and defective lighting caused by deferred maintenance can make a truck dangerous before it ever reaches a public road. Maintenance records and inspection histories are among the first documents we secure.
Blind Spot and Wide-Turn Collisions
Commercial trucks carry large blind zones on all four sides. Failures to check mirrors and wide-turn errors at intersections throughout Paterson, Clifton, and Wayne cause preventable crashes every year.
Speeding and Reckless Driving
The weight and momentum of a loaded 18-wheeler make speed-related crashes devastating. We review GPS tracking and electronic data recorder (black box) information to establish speed at the time of impact.
Injuries Our Passaic County Clients Have Sustained
Truck accident injuries frequently require extensive medical treatment, surgical intervention, and long-term rehabilitation. The most common injuries we see in these cases include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and paralysis, severe neck and back trauma, fractured and crushed bones, internal organ damage, catastrophic lacerations and burns, and wrongful death. Injuries at this severity affect not only physical recovery but a victim’s ability to work, support their family, and live independently. Our team works with medical and economic professionals to document the full lifetime value of your losses, including future care costs and the impact on your earning capacity.
Who May Be Held Liable After a Passaic County Truck Crash
One of the most important advantages of working with an experienced truck accident attorney is the ability to identify every party who may share responsibility for your injuries. Liability in these cases frequently extends beyond the individual driver to the trucking company, the vehicle’s owner or lessor, the cargo loading contractor, the maintenance service provider, and the truck or component manufacturer if a mechanical defect played a role. Missing any of these parties means leaving potential compensation on the table.
Compensation Your Case May Include
New Jersey law allows truck accident victims to pursue compensation for all damages resulting from a crash, including past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, permanent disability or disfigurement, vehicle damage and other property losses, and wrongful death damages when a family member has been killed. We also pursue compensation for loss of consortium and the long-term financial costs of caregiving and home modification where injuries are permanent.
How Jae Lee Law Investigates and Fights Your Case
Attorney Jae E. Lee and our truck accident team begin building your case from the moment you retain us. We move to preserve time-sensitive evidence before it can be altered or destroyed, including the truck’s black box data and GPS logs, driver qualification files, hours-of-service records, and the vehicle’s inspection and maintenance history. We retain accident reconstruction professionals when the circumstances of the collision are in dispute, and we negotiate from a position of genuine trial readiness. When insurance companies know we are prepared to go to trial, settlement outcomes improve significantly.
We serve clients throughout Paterson, Clifton, Wayne, Passaic, Totowa, Woodland Park, Little Falls, Ringwood, West Milford, and the surrounding communities. Our team speaks English, Korean, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian.
Steps to Take After a Truck Accident in Passaic County
The actions you take in the hours and days after a commercial truck collision directly affect your legal options. Call 911 and seek emergency medical attention even if you feel relatively uninjured, as adrenaline frequently masks serious injuries that only appear on imaging days later. Document the scene with photographs of vehicle damage, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Collect the truck driver’s name, commercial driver’s license number, carrier name, and DOT number. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster before speaking with an attorney. Contact a truck accident lawyer as quickly as possible so evidence preservation can begin before records are overwritten or destroyed.
Statute of Limitations for New Jersey Truck Accident Claims
Under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2, most personal injury claims in New Jersey must be filed within two years of the accident date. Wrongful death claims carry the same two-year deadline, running from the date of death rather than the crash itself. Limited exceptions apply in cases involving minors or circumstances where an injury was not immediately discoverable, but these exceptions are narrow and difficult to establish. Missing the filing deadline means permanently losing your right to seek compensation, regardless of how strong your case might otherwise be. Do not wait to speak with an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions About Passaic County Truck Accidents
Do I Have a Valid Truck Accident Claim in Passaic County?
If your injuries resulted from a collision with a commercial truck and the crash was caused in whole or in part by another party’s negligence, you may have a valid claim. New Jersey follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which allows you to recover compensation as long as you were less than 51% responsible for the crash. Your compensation would be reduced proportionally by your percentage of fault. A free case review with our team will give you a clear picture of your options.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in New Jersey?
New Jersey law gives most personal injury claimants two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit, per N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. Wrongful death claims carry the same two-year window, measured from the date of death. Missing this deadline means permanently losing your right to file, regardless of how strong your case is. Contact us as soon as possible if you are approaching the two-year mark.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Passaic County Truck Accident Attorney?
Jae Lee Law handles all truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay no upfront fees and no attorney fees at any point unless and until we recover compensation for you. We also advance litigation costs, including investigation expenses, expert fees, and court filing costs, at no cost to you during the case. Our interests and your interests are fully aligned from day one.
Can My Family File a Claim After a Fatal Truck Accident?
Yes. New Jersey law allows the estate and immediate family members to pursue a wrongful death claim when a truck accident results in a fatality. These claims can recover compensation for medical expenses incurred before death, funeral and burial costs, lost income and financial support the deceased would have provided, and loss of companionship and guidance. The deadline to file is two years from the date of death. Our team handles these cases with the same thoroughness we bring to all injury claims.
What if I Was Partly at Fault for the Truck Accident?
You can still recover compensation under New Jersey’s modified comparative negligence rule as long as you were less than 51% responsible for the crash. Your total recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you were found 20% at fault in a case where damages total $500,000, you would receive $400,000. Insurance companies frequently attempt to assign unfair blame to victims to reduce their payout, making experienced legal representation especially important in these cases.
Which Passaic County Roads See the Most Commercial Truck Accidents?
Interstate 80 is the most heavily traveled commercial freight route through Passaic County and one of the busiest truck corridors in the state. Route 3 in Clifton, Route 23 in Wayne and Pompton Plains, and the surface roads surrounding Paterson and Passaic also carry substantial heavy vehicle traffic. Areas near warehouse and distribution facilities in Totowa and Woodland Park present additional risk. If you were injured on any of these roads or in the surrounding communities, our team is ready to review your case.
Contact Jae Lee Law for a Free Case Review
Attorney Jae E. Lee has spent nearly three decades recovering compensation for truck accident victims throughout New Jersey, achieving millions of dollars in results and earning certification from the New Jersey Supreme Court — a distinction held by fewer than 3% of attorneys in the state. Our team of more than 100 combined years of legal experience approaches every case with the preparation, resources, and trial readiness it takes to stand up to commercial trucking companies and their insurers. You can review our case results to see what that commitment looks like in practice.
Contact us today through our online intake form or by calling 201-346-3800 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We serve Passaic County clients throughout Paterson, Clifton, Wayne, Passaic, Totowa, Woodland Park, and the surrounding communities. Our Passaic County practice also covers motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall, and premises liability cases. We handle every case on a contingency basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
