WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT ONCE YOU SIGN UP WITH US.
Once you have retained the services of Afonso & Afonso you can expect to have the best possible legal service and counsel in the business. Our firm is dedicated to meeting the needs of our clients. All of our attorneys speaking directly to our clients in Spanish and Portuguese as necessary. All of our staff also speak Portuguese and Spanish for your added convenience.
We are located in the heart of Elizabeth NJ in a beautiful new building with parking if necessary. We will explore all options for your potential claim whether it be a title 59 claim (claim against a governmental entity ) or a potential federal claim or whether it a be a uninsured or even underinsured motorist claim. We will be there to guide you of all possible scenarios where it may benefit or hinder you claim. At the same time we will pursue getting all your medical bills paid for and help you with getting your vehicle repaired and a rental vehicle if need be.
At the office of Afonso and Afonso we enjoy giving our clients the best possible advice but we really enjoy letting our results do the talking for us. Please take time to read some of our testimonials and some of our recent settlement stories.
Will taxes be deducted from my settlement?
No personal injury claims are made to make the plaintiff whole so no you will not be taxed on your settlement money.
Once I settle my case how long does it take to get my settlement money ?
In most cases you should receive your settlement check within 4 to 6 weeks although we always try to get you your money as soon as possible.
What is a statute of limitations?
A statute of limitations is the time period which the law allows you to formally bring a claim and file a complaint in the court. In NJ the statute of limitations for most cases is 2 years for personal injury cases. However there are some exceptions if it is a governmental entity you have to put them on notice within 90 days involved or if you have a uninsured or under-insured claim you can have up to 6 years.
I had a case before, will that affect the case that just happened?
Possibly. If you injured the same body part in a prior accident then a medical professional will have to examine the prior records and determine if your injury has been aggravated, accelerated or exacerbated.
What is a verbal threshold and a zero threshold?
When you have a verbal threshold declaration on your policy to summarize you will have to prove permanency at the time of trial and the jury will be read the verbal threshold jury instruction as where there must be permanency. When you have a zero threshold on your policy there is no such permanency jury instruction and permanency is not an issue as to your injuries.
Do I have a case?
There are many factor we have to examine to determine if you have a valid case. We perform a case by case analysis to determine if a viable claim exists and if that claim is worth pursuing. We know your time is valuable and we only pursue the claims we think we can recover for you
What if I decide I don’t want my auto insurance policy or my resident relatives policy to be billed?
If you have PIP coverage available to you, either through your own policy, your resident relatives, or the host vehicles insurance and you fail to submit those bills and submit a claim, then you may be responsible for those bills personally.
If I have no auto insurance of my own, but I live with a relative who has an auto policy does that policy cover my medical bills?
Yes, in NJ if you have no policy of your own your resident relatives auto policy will cover your bills.
If I am a passenger in another vehicle and I am in an auto accident does my own auto policy pay for my medical bills?
Yes, in NJ your own auto policy pays for your medical bills.
Does my own auto policy pay for my medical bills even though it’s not my fault?
Yes it does. In NJ a portion of your auto policy called PIP determines that amount of coverage you have for your medical bills.
What does a dollar-a-day policy mean?
It means in most cases you have no coverage for Bodily injury in case someone sues you. It also means you have no coverage for payment of medical bills or under-insured motorist coverage in case that person who caused the accident has no coverage. A dollar a day policy give you permission to drive with no coverages. You should avoid getting this policy at all costs as it is only a detriment to you.
The insurance company keeps calling me ... should I talk to them?
No, you should not. Once you have retained our firm if anyone called you related to the case please tell them the firm of Afonso & Afonso is representing you and tell them to call us. The insurance companies are trying to get information they can use against you, don’t give it to them.
Do you meet with clients after hours or on weekends?
Yes we do. We try to accommodate our clients and their schedules
How long does a personal injury case last?
The majority or personal injury cases are resolved in between 1 to 2 years. However we have resolved some cases as fast as 4 months
The other driver was given a ticket and I received a notice to appear in court as a witness. Should I go?
Yes the prosecutor is sending you a notice so he can better decide how to pursue the summons against the defendant. If you don’t appear in court the State may not have enough evidence to prove the case against the person who received the ticket
Can I get a cash advance on my case?
Yes. Many people need money now and are not able to wait for their case to finish or their settlement to come in. There are several cash advance companies we can recommend that can possibly advance you money on your case.
Can I sue if I owned a vehicle on the date of the accident and it was not insured, but not involved in the accident in question?
Possibly. It would all depend if that vehicle was in a non drivable state. Engine or transmission removed.. or up on jack stands or on blocks.
Can I sue if I was driving a car and it did not have insurance on the date of the accident?
You can bring a claim as long as you did not own the uninsured vehicle and did not know that it was uninsured.
I was driving and I don’t have a license can I still sue?
Yes you can. We have recovered damages for clients who were driving and do not have a valid driver’s license.
I am not here legally, can I still sue?
Yes you can still sue even if you are not here legally. You are entitled to the exact same rights as any person who is a citizen.
I want to go see a doctor but I don't have health insurance, what do I do?
If you were involved in an auto accident in the State of New Jersey, then the entity that pays for your medical bills is your auto insurance. This is a no-fault provision of your auto insurance policy, which means it doesn’t matter who was at fault for the accident. If you don’t have your own auto insurance policy, then the policy of a resident relative of the policy of the host vehicle will provide you with coverage. If none of these exist, then you may be eligible for coverage through NJPLIGA. Don’t get stuck with thousands in medical bills. Call our office so we can help you navigate through all the hoops of the insurance companies.
What if the car that hit me ran away?
If you were involved in a hit and run the police department will often attempt to find the car that hit you. If they were unable to find the car, then you will have a valid claim through your own insurance company under the Uninsured Motorist Coverage. It’s important to have this type of coverage and most insurance policies do provide it in the State of New Jersey.
What do I do if the car that hit me was not insured?
In New Jersey it is required to maintain a minimum personal injury coverage of $15,000.00 for each person and $30,000.00 for each accident. There are also basic policies and dollar-a-day policies which often times do not provide any personal injury coverage. Other times the person you are in an accident with was illegally driving without insurance. Other times the car that hit you simply ran away from the scene of the accident. In any of those cases you can look to your own insurance and bring a claim or sue your own insurance for Uninsured Motorist Coverage. It’s important to have this type of coverage and most insurance policies do provide it in the State of New Jersey.
What if I am partially at fault for the accident?
Be careful who you’re listening to. Many times people are in an accident and the person who caused the accident tries to convince the victim that they were at fault. I have heard far too many times people saying that they stopped at the stop sign them proceeded into the intersection only to be struck by a car that was speeding down the road. You should consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to see who he believes was at fault for the accident.
Many times there will be comparative negligence on both parties or a situation where it’s a “he said, she said” and the issues will come down to who is more credible. We have recovered million for people where insurance companies initially refused to pay because they disputed liability.
How much does a personal injury lawyer cost?
Our office offers our services on a contingency fee agreement. That means that we won’t get paid unless you get paid. If we don’t recover a settlement for you, you will not have to pay us any fee.
How do I calculate the value of my case?
One of the most important questions any new client has is how much is my case worth.
There are many variables that you have to take into account when determining the value of a case. The most important ones are liability, insurance coverage, venue, actual medical bills and damage. Call us for a free case evaluation and we can review with you all of the variables and determine if you have a good personal injury case.
How do I file a personal injury lawsuit?
Personal Injury Lawsuits can be very confusing. I have had many clients that attempted to file a complaint themselves just to have their complaint dismissed a few months later, either because they failed to include important information in the complaint or because they didn’t do any of the proper work after filing a complaint, like discovery.
Insurance companies will often times try to take advantage of the fact that someone is not represented and have them sign a release giving them pennies on what their actual case is worth. Insurance companies don’t want people to talk to lawyers.
That being said you can get information from the state judiciary website about how to file a claim, but we recommend that you consult with a trained personal injury attorney.
We offer all of our personal injury clients that we will work on a contingency, which means we won’t get paid unless you get paid. If we don’t recover a settlement for you, you will not have to pay us any fee!
Don’t let insurance companies trick you into accepting a lot less than what you deserve.
WHAT PARTS OF ELIZABETH DO YOU SERVE?
We strive to be the best attorneys in Elizabeth! Our firm assist clients throughout Elizabeth New Jersey, including residents of Elizabeth Avenue, East Jersey Street, South Broad Street, Pearl Street, Rahway Avenue, South Pearl Street, East Grand Street, Magnolia Avenue, Trumbull Street, Route 9, West Jersey Street, West Grand Street, Cherry Street, Chilton Street, Prince Street, Jefferson Avenue, Dickinson Street, Burnett Street, Bridge Street, Colonial Avenue, Morris Avenue, Salem Avenue, East Lincoln Avenue, Olive Street, Henry Street, Trumbull Street, Grove Street, East Linden Avenue, East Baltimore Avenue, Olive Street, Emma Street, Flora Street, Anna Street, Bond Street, Henry Street, Julia Street, Division Street, more.
WHAT PARTS OF UNION COUNTY DO YOU SERVE?
We aim to be the best personal injury attorneys in Elizabeth and Union! We available to assist clients throughout Elizabeth, Newark and all of Union County New Jersey, including: Bayway, Dayton, Elizabeth, Elizabethport, Elmora, Hillside, Irvington, Ironbound, Linden, North Ironbound, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, South Ironbound, South Broad Street, Township of Hillside, Union Square, Weequahic & More.
What Types of Accidents Can You Handle?
Afonso & Afonso are personal injury accident attorneys and can assist with all of the following:
- Automobile Accidents
- Bar Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Bodega Accidents
- Bus Accidents
- Crosswalk Accidents
- Dog Bite Accidents
- Lyft Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Premises Liability Accidents
- Restaurant Accidents
- Sidewalk Accidents
- Shopping Mall Accidents
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Supermarket Accidents
- Train Accidents
- Trip and Fall Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Uber Accidents
- Vehicle Accidents
- Wrongful Death Accidents
Can you resolve my case quickly?
We “hit the ground running” when we are retained by a client. Our attorneys conduct as much due diligence as possible after before and immediately after taking your case. Generally speaking, we hire whatever investigators and experts are needed as soon as possible to strengthen our client’s cases. We make immediate contact with the defendant and defendant’s insurance carriers. Our team prosecutes all cases forcefully to ensure a satisfactory and prompt recovery. We aim to resolve all cases as quickly as possible. We have resolved cases in as quick as a few months. However, we cannot guarantee anything and we are required to disclose that prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes as all cases are different.
How much is my case worth?
At Afonso & Afonso, our attorneys determine the value of a case by looking at various factors, such as:
- type of accident
- circumstances surrounding the accident and who is at fault
- seriousness of the injuries sustained
- whether surgery is required
- time spent at hospital
- whether physical therapy is required
- how much time you missed from work
- amount of any medical bills and out of pocket costs
Our attorneys also review other factors such as the venue of any potential lawsuit, any prior medical history, prior lawsuits for similar types of injuries, etc.
If you would like for us to evaluate your case and determine how much it is worth, use our lawsuit value calculator below. If we are unable to provide you with a number, an attorney will contact you to discuss further.
Can I sue if I previously signed a general release?
Read the details for Signed General Release
Can I sue even though defendant does not have any insurance.
In all accident cases, competent attorneys will conduct due diligence to determine if there is any available insurance company and insurance policy to proceed against. In car accident cases, New Jersey law requires all automobile owners to obtain at least a minimum amount of
insurance (“no fault coverage”) to compensate any injured parties. There are times, however, where reckless individuals without any insurance strike other motorists. In these circumstances, an attorney will investigate to determine if there are other potential tortfeasors and to determine
if there is any “uninsured/underinsured” motorist coverage. Uninsured coverage may be available depending on the type of insurance policy you purchased. This type of coverage protects you against accidents involving uninsured and underinsured drivers. If there is coverage, an attorney will be able to place your insurance company on notice and proceed with any potential claims. If you were involved in an accident where no insurance appears to be available, contact us immediately for a free legal consultation.
Can I fire my current attorney.
Yes! You can discharge your attorney at any time. Many clients have hired our law firm to take over their cases from other attorneys. Clients may be unhappy with their attorneys because they fail to communicate with them, fail to respond to phone calls or emails, the attorney doesn’t update the client on the status of their case, or more. If you are not happy with your current attorney, give us a call.