Personal Injury Lawyers Westwood, NJ | Gencarelli & Rimassa

If you were injured in Westwood — whether at a Washington Avenue storefront, crossing at the train station, or along Old Hook Road — you are likely dealing with medical bills, missed work, and an insurance company that is already working to minimize what it pays you. You should not have to fight that battle alone. At Gencarelli & Rimassa Law Firm, we represent injured Westwood residents and get them the compensation they deserve. Our initial consultation is completely free, and we never collect a fee unless we win your case. Call us today at (201) 549-8737 — the sooner you reach out, the stronger your case will be.

As Super Lawyers-rated attorneys based in nearby Lyndhurst, we have recovered more than $10 million for injured clients across Bergen County. We know the roads, the businesses, and the courts that will decide your case. You deserve experienced representation, not a settlement that barely covers your hospital bills.

Personal Injury Cases in Westwood, NJ

Westwood is widely known as the “Hub of the Pascack Valley” — a busy commercial and transit center that draws commuters, shoppers, and residents from across Bergen County every day. That activity comes with a predictable downside: accidents. The NJ Transit Bergen County Line stops at Westwood Station on Ridgewood Avenue, where pedestrians — many of them daily commuters — cross active rail-adjacent streets in a rush. That kind of foot traffic, combined with poorly maintained sidewalks and inadequate lighting, creates real danger.

Washington Avenue and Westwood Avenue, the borough’s two primary commercial corridors, are lined with retail businesses, restaurants, and professional offices. Wet floors, broken pavement, inadequate signage, and poorly maintained entryways all contribute to slip-and-fall accidents. Old Hook Road (CR 75) is a high-speed connector linking Westwood to surrounding communities, and its design invites the kind of rear-end and angle collisions that cause serious injuries. School zone pedestrian accidents are also a documented concern near Westwood High School and other Pascack Valley Regional High School District facilities during arrival and dismissal hours. Recreational areas including Veterans Memorial Park and Westvale Park see dog bite incidents and premises liability claims, particularly during warmer months.

We handle all types of personal injury cases in Westwood, including:

• Car and truck accidents (Old Hook Road, Washington Avenue corridor)
• Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall at commercial properties
• Pedestrian accidents near Westwood Station and school zones
• Dog bites and animal attacks
• Bicycle accidents
• Premises liability (parks, retail stores, restaurants)
• Workplace injuries

If you were seriously injured and needed emergency care, you were likely taken to Valley Hospital (1 Valley Health Plaza, Ridgewood, NJ) or Hackensack University Medical Center — both of which we work with regularly in documenting injuries for litigation purposes.

Understanding NJ Personal Injury Law

New Jersey law gives injured victims two years from the date of their injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is set by the statute of limitations under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. Miss that window and your right to sue is almost always permanently extinguished — no matter how clear the other party’s fault. If you were hurt in Westwood, do not assume you have time to wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses become harder to reach, and surveillance footage gets overwritten. The sooner you contact an attorney, the better your position.

New Jersey also uses a modified comparative negligence standard under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1. This rule allows you to recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident — as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50%. Your recovery is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if a jury determines your total damages are $100,000 but finds you were 20% at fault, you would recover $80,000. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurance adjusters know this rule well and often try to shift blame onto injured victims specifically to reduce or eliminate what they pay. An experienced attorney will fight to keep your fault percentage as low as the evidence supports.

What To Do After an Accident in Westwood

The steps you take in the hours and days after an accident in Westwood will directly affect the value and outcome of your injury claim. Here is what you need to do:

1. Call 911 immediately. A police report creates an official record of the accident. Without it, the other party can later dispute what happened — and often does.
2. Seek medical attention right away. Even if you feel okay, internal injuries, concussions, and soft tissue damage often do not show up until hours or days later. A gap in medical care gives insurers an opening to argue your injuries are not serious or not related to the accident.
3. Document everything at the scene. Photograph all vehicles, the road or property conditions, visible injuries, and the surrounding environment. Get names and contact information for every witness. If the accident happened at a business, ask for the incident report number.
4. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company. This includes your own insurer. Adjusters are trained to ask questions designed to get you to say something that reduces your claim. You are not legally required to give a recorded statement before speaking with an attorney.
5. Stay off social media. Anything you post — even something innocuous like a photo from a family event — can be taken out of context and used to argue that your injuries are not as serious as you claim.
6. Call Gencarelli & Rimassa at (201) 549-8737. The sooner we begin investigating, the better. We will preserve evidence, interview witnesses, and handle all communication with insurance companies so you can focus on recovering.

How We Help Westwood Residents

When you hire Gencarelli & Rimassa, you get a legal team that immediately goes to work building your case. We conduct a thorough independent investigation — gathering police reports, obtaining surveillance footage before it is overwritten, retaining accident reconstruction experts when needed, and collecting your complete medical records. We handle every interaction with the insurance company so you do not have to.

Our approach is straightforward: we negotiate aggressively, but we are fully prepared to try your case if the insurer refuses to pay fair value. Many personal injury firms settle every case because they are not built for trial. We are. Insurance adjusters know that Gencarelli & Rimassa will take cases to court, which consistently produces better settlement offers for our clients.

All Bergen County personal injury lawsuits — including cases arising from accidents in Westwood — are litigated at the Bergen County Superior Court, 10 Main St, Hackensack, NJ. You do not need a law firm with a Westwood office. You need a firm with deep experience at the courthouse that will actually decide your case. Our office in Lyndhurst is less than 10 miles from Hackensack, and we appear in Bergen County Superior Court regularly.

Why Choose Gencarelli & Rimassa for Your Westwood Case?

When you are hurt and facing the financial pressure that comes with a serious injury, you need a law firm with the credentials and commitment to actually deliver results. Here is why Westwood residents trust Gencarelli & Rimassa:

The Super Lawyers rating is awarded to less than 5% of attorneys in New Jersey — it reflects peer recognition and demonstrated results. Our contingency fee structure means there is no financial risk to you: if we do not recover compensation, you owe us nothing. We are part of the broader network of personal injury lawyers in Bergen County NJ and represent clients throughout the state as New Jersey personal injury lawyers.

Personal Injury Lawyers Near You in Westwood, NJ

Our Lyndhurst office serves injured clients throughout Bergen County, including Westwood residents who need an experienced attorney close to home. You do not need to travel far for serious representation. Whether you were hurt on Washington Avenue, struck near the Westwood NJ Transit station, or injured on Old Hook Road, we know this community, we know the Bergen County courts where your case will be heard, and we know how the insurance companies operating in this area handle claims. Getting local counsel early is one of the most important decisions you can make after an accident.

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