• Photos or videos showing you being physically active can contradict claims of constant and severe pain, decreased mobility, or loss of function, and imply that you are exaggerating the severity of the injury.
• Check-ins and location tags can lead to questions about how significantly the injury has affected your mobility.

Following are just five of the most common mistakes that can jeopardize a personal injury case.

1. Delaying medical treatment; not following through on a treatment plan – Failing to seek medical attention in a timely manner, refusing treatment, missing doctors’ or physical therapy appointments can all be construed as indications that the injury may not be as serious as claimed, or that the injured party’s actions increased the severity of their injuries or prolonged their recovery.

Compensatory damages fall into two categories: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses – medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and the like. These expenses can be objectively measured and are supported by such evidence as invoices, pay stubs, and repair estimates. The gray area comes in assessing the value of non-economic damages

Non-economic damages refer to intangible injuries, including:

New Jersey law requires all employers to carry Workers’ Compensation insurance to cover employees injured on the job. Exceptions to that requirement include federal employees who are covered under a comparable federal program, and partnerships, sole proprietorships, and LLC members who have no additional employees and qualify for self-insurance.

Workers’ Compensation serves two purposes: providing financial compensation to employees injured while performing their day-to-day job and, in most cases, protecting the employer against lawsuits filed by the employee for the same injury.

The New Jersey Tort Claims Act mandates that notice of a claim against state or local government entities be filed within 90 days from the date of the incident, otherwise, the injured party can be barred from filing future lawsuits relating to the incident. There is an exception to the 90-day statute of limitation if the injured party can demonstrate extraordinary circumstances that prevented them from submitting a claim within the required timeframe.

Government agencies may be held liable for injuries caused its employees, or an unsafe condition on government property that is open to the public. That liability, however, is limited and, in some cases, immunity may be granted unless certain conditions are met.

New Jersey requires the following mandatory coverage:

• Liability insurance – covers damages to another if you are found responsible for the accident.

Slip and fall accidents can result in sprains, broken bones and even traumatic brain injuries, all of which can lead to extensive medical costs, high rehabilitation expenses and possible lost wages as the victim recovers.

To be able to recover damages to help with these expenses, it must be shown that the accident was the result of negligence. It is possible for both the victim and property owner to share in that negligence.

In an effort to help accident victims and their families recover, lawmakers earlier this year introduced legislation in both the state senate and state assembly to provide victims with better compensation, as well as improve accountability and transparency in these cases. To learn more, read “Those hurt in N.J. car crashes …”

Essentially e-bikes are bicycles with motors, making them more powerful than ordinary bikes but less than motorcycles. These vehicles are often operated by children as young as 11 or 12 with little to no knowledge of the rules of the road. Concerns over this lack of knowledge and experience have some people pushing for more safety controls over the use of these vehicles. To learn more and see if you agree stronger regulations are warranted, read “Push for new regulations as e-bike accidents involving children on the rise.”

Drivers who flee a crash scene despite State laws requiring them to stay and report any accident involving injuries, fatalities or property damage valued at more than $500, face the possibility of being charged with a third-degree crime (for accidents resulting in physical injuries) or a second-degree crime (for accidents resulting in fatalities).

Because leaving the scene prolongs the investigation into that accident and, more importantly, can delay getting aid and other assistance to the victims, some say existing laws don’t provide enough of a deterrent. To learn what NJ lawmakers are currently considering read, “New Jersey’s Push for Stricter Hit-and-Run Penalties. . .”