You may have been the victim of a car accident in New Jersey, and you may be wondering now if your insurance company will cover all the losses. There can be times, of course, when personal injury protection does not cover them, in which case the victims may be able to pursue a third-party insurance claim.
Much will depend on how the other driver was negligent. Was he or she speeding, tailgating or cutting in front of vehicles in a traffic jam? On the other hand, how did you respond to the driver? Did you have to brake hard in your unsuccessful effort to avoid a collision? Hard braking, though necessary at times, can be considered a sign of negligence.
Hard braking and car collision rates
In its 2019 America’s Best Drivers Report, Allstate has ranked the 200 most populous cities in the U.S. based on the frequency of hard-braking events and the frequency of car collisions that end in property damage claims. The results show a correlation: As one increases, so does the other.
For example, the most dangerous city, Baltimore, drivers are in a collision an average of once every four years and are involved in over 30 hard-braking events per 1,000 miles traveled. Contrast this with the national average of one collision every 10.57 years and 19 hard-braking events per 1,000 miles. The safest city was Brownsville. Drivers in this Texas city get in a collision every 15 years.
Data spanning from 2016 to 2017
Allstate focused on property damage claims from January 2016 to December 2017. The auto insurer was able to obtain hard-braking data from its Drivewise telematics program. This is a program that drivers voluntarily enroll in as a way to improve their safety skills and get discounts on insurance.
A lawyer to give you personal attention
You may or may not have a personal injury case on your hands. In this state, those who can file a third-party insurance claim must not exceed the defendant in their degree of fault. To see if you qualify for compensation for the serious injuries you suffered, you may consult a lawyer.
