Reviewed by Mazie Slater’s car accident attorney who specializes in single-car accidents [David A. Mazie – Managing Partner of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman]

Car accidents involving a single vehicle are surprisingly common. Single-car wrecks are often associated with rollover accidents, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 8,146 people were killed in single-vehicle rollover crashes across the country. In New Jersey, of the 236,760 car accidents reported by the NJDOT in 2022, 288 were rollover accidents.

Middlesex, Essex, and Ocean counties have the highest number of single- car accidents, followed by Mercer, Monmouth, Union, Morris, Bergen, Passaic, and Atlantic counties.

When you’re injured in a single-car accident in New Jersey, choosing the right legal representation can make the difference between a denied claim and full financial recovery. Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman brings unmatched experience and resources to single-vehicle accident cases throughout New Jersey.

Our legal team has won record-breaking compensation for clients injured in all types of car accidents, including single-car accidents caused by factors beyond their control:

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman’s work on single-car and complex car accident cases has earned consistent recognition among the top personal injury law firms in both New Jersey and across the nation:

Our single-car accident attorneys bring decades of experience handling complex accident cases in New Jersey. We work with accident reconstruction experts, investigators, and medical professionals to thoroughly examine every single-car crash, identify all liable parties, and build compelling cases that maximize our clients’ compensation.

A single-car accident is any collision involving only one vehicle. While these crashes don’t involve another car directly, they frequently result from external factors beyond the driver’s control. Common single-car accident scenarios include:

The key distinction is that while only one vehicle is damaged in the crash, multiple parties may share responsibility for causing the accident. This makes a thorough investigation essential to identify all sources of liability and compensation.

Understanding what caused your single-car accident is crucial for determining liability and pursuing compensation. Our experienced New Jersey single-car accident lawyers examine every potential cause:

Poorly maintained roads are a leading cause of single-car accidents in New Jersey. Government entities responsible for road maintenance can be held liable when dangerous conditions contribute to crashes, including:

When defective auto parts cause single-car accidents, vehicle manufacturers and, in some cases, mechanics may be held liable. Common vehicle defects that lead to single-vehicle crashes include:

Many single-car accidents occur when drivers take evasive action to avoid colliding with another negligent driver. Even without direct vehicle contact, the other driver may be liable when their actions force you off the road or cause you to crash. Examples include:

When pedestrians jaywalking or cyclists riding unpredictably dart into traffic, drivers may swerve to avoid hitting them and crash as a result. These vulnerable road users can be held liable even when their vehicle isn’t directly struck.

While adverse weather alone typically doesn’t create liability, dangerous weather combined with government failure to properly treat roads or warn drivers can establish fault. Additionally, property owners who fail to maintain trees or structures near roadways may be liable when falling branches or debris cause accidents.

Single-car accidents often result in severe, life-threatening injuries due to the violent forces involved when vehicles strike fixed objects or roll over. Because occupants may be thrown around inside the vehicle or partially ejected, injuries tend to be catastrophic. Common injuries in single-vehicle crashes include:

Head trauma represents the gravest danger in single-car accidents, occurring when occupants’ heads strike the steering wheel, dashboard, windows, or other vehicle surfaces. Traumatic brain injuries range from concussions to severe brain damage, causing memory loss, cognitive impairment, personality changes, persistent headaches, loss of coordination, speech difficulties, and long-term disability requiring lifetime care.

The powerful impact forces in single-car accidents frequently cause spinal cord damage that can result in partial or complete paralysis, loss of sensation below the injury site, permanent physical disability, and chronic pain. These catastrophic injuries often require mobility aids, home modifications, and lifetime medical care and assistance.

Along with spinal cord damage, single-vehicle accidents commonly cause serious injuries to the tissues surrounding the spine, including whiplash and soft tissue damage to the neck, herniated or ruptured discs in the spine, spinal compression fractures, and nerve damage, causing chronic pain. These injuries often result in permanent limitations in mobility and flexibility that affect victims’ ability to work and enjoy daily activities.

Single-car crash victims routinely experience skeletal injuries throughout the body, including clavicle fractures from shoulder-first impacts, forearm and hand breaks when bracing for impact, leg and foot fractures from pedal entrapment, hip and pelvis breaks from side impacts, rib fractures from seatbelt forces, and facial bone fractures requiring reconstructive surgery.

The violent forces of single-car collisions can cause life-threatening internal damage, including internal bleeding requiring emergency surgery, organ damage to the liver, spleen, kidneys, or lungs, collapsed lungs from chest trauma, and abdominal injuries from seatbelt compression. These complications may not be immediately apparent but can prove fatal without prompt diagnosis and treatment.

When vehicles catch fire after single-car crashes or fuel spills occur, occupants may suffer severe burn injuries requiring extensive hospitalization and treatment, skin grafts and reconstructive surgery, long-term rehabilitation and physical therapy, psychological counseling for trauma, and treatment for permanent scarring and disfigurement.

Tragically, single-car accidents prove fatal when victims sustain injuries too severe to survive. When single-car accidents result in death, surviving family members may pursue wrongful death claims to recover compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and the profound emotional suffering caused by their loved one’s untimely death.

One of the most challenging aspects of single-car accident cases involves overcoming the assumption that the driver must be at fault. Insurance companies and defense attorneys will argue that since no other vehicle was involved, the driver caused their own injuries. Our experienced New Jersey single-car accident lawyers know how to counter these arguments with compelling evidence proving that external factors caused your crash.

To recover compensation in a single-car accident case, you must establish the four elements of negligence under New Jersey law:

Our thorough investigation of your single-vehicle crash identifies all potentially liable parties:

When poor road design, inadequate maintenance, or missing traffic control devices contribute to single-car accidents, government entities may be liable. New Jersey law requires accident victims to file a Notice of Tort Claim within 90 days of the accident when seeking compensation from a government entity—failure to comply with this requirement will permanently bar your claim.

If a defect in your vehicle caused or contributed to your single-car accident, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer. These cases require expert testimony and technical analysis to prove the defect caused your crash.

Even when another vehicle doesn’t physically strike yours, the other driver can be held liable if their negligence forced you to take evasive action that resulted in a crash. These “phantom driver” cases require careful investigation and evidence gathering, including witness testimony, traffic camera footage, dashcam video, and physical evidence at the scene supporting your account.

Private property owners may be liable when hazards on their property contribute to single-car accidents on adjacent roadways, such as trees or branches hanging into the roadway, debris from poorly maintained driveways, inadequate drainage, or poor visibility at property entrances.

New Jersey follows a modified comparative negligence system when determining liability and compensation in single-car accident cases. Victims can recover damages as long as they are 50% or less at fault for the accident—if you’re 51% or more responsible, you cannot recover any compensation. Your percentage of fault reduces the amount of your damage award.

This system makes thorough investigation and compelling evidence crucial in single-car accident cases. Insurance companies and defense attorneys will work aggressively to shift as much blame as possible onto you to reduce or eliminate their liability. Our experienced attorneys counter these tactics with expert testimony, accident reconstruction analysis, and powerful evidence proving that external factors caused your crash.

Single-car accident victims in New Jersey can pursue comprehensive compensation for all losses resulting from the crash. The severity of injuries that commonly occur in single-vehicle accidents, combined with the need to prove that external factors caused the crash, often requires skilled legal representation to maximize recovery.

Economic damages compensate for all measurable financial losses caused by the single-car accident:

New Jersey law allows single-car accident victims to recover compensation for intangible losses that significantly impact quality of life:

Importantly, New Jersey places no caps on non-economic damages in personal injury cases, allowing juries to award whatever compensation they determine is appropriate based on the severity and life-altering impact of your injuries.

Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman follows a comprehensive approach to single-car accident cases, maximizing our clients’ compensation while protecting them from insurance company tactics:

Throughout this process, we keep you informed about the progress of your case and answer any questions you may have. We understand that recovering from a serious single-car accident is stressful enough without having to worry about the legal aspects of your claim.

Our New Jersey car accident lawyers are experienced in handling complex single-vehicle accident lawsuits. If you or a loved one has been in a single-car accident that caused serious injury or death, protect your rights and contact the New Jersey law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman. One of our experienced single-car accident lawyers will get back to you as soon as possible to discuss your New Jersey single-vehicle accident case. We will fight for your right to fair compensation for your injuries or the death of a loved one.