Spanish-Speaking Personal Injury Lawyers in New Jersey

If you need bilingual English-Spanish personal injury lawyers in New Jersey, look no further. Here’s how we work: at Birkhold & Maider, your entire case can happen in Spanish. The first call, the paperwork, calls with the insurance company, case updates, and the settlement explanation all come from people who speak your language. Our intake team, our paralegals, and our attorneys are all fluent in English and Spanish.

Your immigration status does not change your right to bring an injury or workers’ compensation claim, and it does not change how we treat you. The case evaluation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover money for you.

En español: Somos abogados de lesiones personales en Nueva Jersey y atendemos su caso completo en español, desde la primera llamada hasta el acuerdo final. No cobramos nada por adelantado, la evaluación de su caso es gratis, y su estatus migratorio no afecta su derecho a reclamar. Llámenos al 973-319-7795 o visite nuestra página principal en español.

Abogados de lesiones personales en Nueva Jersey, en español

Esta página reúne todo lo que ofrecemos en español: cómo funciona su caso con nosotros, cuánto cobra un abogado, qué plazos aplican en Nueva Jersey, qué pasa si se lesionó en el trabajo, y los enlaces a nuestras páginas en español sobre cada tipo de accidente.

What “spanish-speaking” means here: your whole case in Spanish, from intake to settlement

One question is worth asking any firm: does the attorney handling your case speak Spanish, or only the person at the front desk? At our firm, the answer is everyone. Everyone you deal with speaks Spanish, from the person who answers the phone through the paralegal who texts you updates and the attorney who negotiates with the insurance adjuster. Here’s how it looks like at each stage of a case:

  1. The first call. You tell us what happened in whichever language you prefer. Nobody puts you on hold to find a translator. Our new-matter line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 973-319-7795.
  2. The retainer and the paperwork. We explain the fee agreement, medical authorizations, and insurance forms to you in Spanish before you sign anything. You should never sign a document you do not fully understand. With us, you will not have to.
  3. Your paralegal. We assign one paralegal to your case. They are reachable by phone and text, and they respond within 24 hours. Because they speak Spanish, a quick question about a medical bill or a rental car does not have to wait for an interpreter.
  4. Your attorney. One attorney owns your case from the day you hire us until it resolves. That attorney speaks Spanish and meets with you directly. We meet at our Montclair office, or if you cannot travel, at your home or in the hospital.
  5. Insurance calls. Once you hire us, the adjuster calls us, not you. You do not need to give a recorded statement in a language you are not comfortable in. That is ours to carry now.
  6. Depositions and court. A deposition is a formal interview under oath where the other side’s lawyer asks you questions. Your attorney prepares you for it in Spanish. If a certified interpreter is needed for the deposition or a court hearing, we arrange it. New Jersey courts provide interpreters for people with limited English, and under the Judiciary’s Language Access Plan, the court generally covers the cost.
  7. The settlement. We explain every offer to you in Spanish, including what is deducted for medical liens and fees, and what you will actually take home. We never accept or reject an offer without your informed consent. That means you understand the choice, and you make it.

The people behind that promise are on our Spanish attorney page: Adam Birkhold, Robert Maider, and Kevin Decie, our partners. The firm was founded in 2016 by managing partners who have practiced law since 2006. Our team also includes an attorney Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney. That matters because insurance companies pay attention to whether a firm actually tries cases when a fair offer is not on the table. You can read more about the firm on Nuestra Firma.

¿Cuánto cobra un abogado de lesiones personales? What our fee looks like

You pay nothing up front, and nothing at all unless we recover money for you. This is called a contingency fee: our fee is a percentage of what we recover, and it is written into the agreement you sign at the start. If we recover nothing, you owe us no fee. The case evaluation is free, in English or Spanish, whether you end up hiring us or not.

En español: No cobramos nada por adelantado. Trabajamos con honorarios de contingencia, es decir, nuestro pago es un porcentaje de lo que recuperamos para usted y solo cobramos si ganamos. Si no recuperamos nada, usted no nos debe honorarios. La evaluación de su caso es gratuita.

Two details are worth understanding early. First, ask any lawyer to walk you through a sample settlement breakdown before you sign, including how case costs such as medical records and expert reports are handled. Second, your medical providers may have a lien, which is a right to be paid back from your settlement. Our attorneys negotiate those balances down through established relationships with providers. This negotiation can change what you actually take home.

Does immigration status affect an injury or workers’ compensation claim in New Jersey?

No. Immigration status does not affect your right to bring a personal injury or workers’ compensation claim in New Jersey, and it is not something we ask about to decide whether to take your case. Here is what the law actually says, so you are not taking our word for it.

  • Personal injury claims. If a driver ran a red light and hit you, your claim is against that driver’s insurance policy. Your immigration status does not affect your right to bring that claim in New Jersey, and it is not part of what the insurer owes. What matters is who was at fault, how badly you were hurt, and how much coverage exists.
  • Workers’ compensation. New Jersey’s Appellate Division held in Fernandez-Lopez v. Jose Cervino, Inc. (1996) that undocumented status does not prevent a worker from receiving workers’ compensation benefits. The New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation describes the program as “no fault” insurance that pays medical treatment, wage replacement, and permanent disability benefits to employees hurt on the job, regardless of who caused the accident.
  • Retaliation. Under N.J.S.A. 34:15-39.1, it is unlawful for an employer to fire or discriminate against an employee for claiming or trying to claim workers’ compensation benefits. If your employer threatens you over a claim, tell your attorney right away.
  • Court access. The New Jersey Judiciary provides court interpreters for people with limited English proficiency, and its Language Access Plan states that the Judiciary generally bears the cost.

We handle only personal injury and workers’ compensation cases. We are not, however, immigration lawyers, and we will not give you immigration advice. If you have questions about how a lawsuit, a settlement, or a hospital visit could interact with a pending application, please ask an immigration attorney. We are glad to coordinate with them. Everything you tell us is confidential. If we ask for a Social Security number at intake, it is strictly for the claim paperwork, not to screen you. If you do not have one, just tell us.

En español: Su estatus migratorio no afecta su derecho a presentar una reclamación por lesiones personales o por accidente de trabajo en Nueva Jersey. Los tribunales de Nueva Jersey han confirmado que un trabajador indocumentado puede recibir beneficios de compensación laboral, y la ley estatal prohíbe que su empleador lo despida por reclamarlos. No somos abogados de inmigración y no damos consejos migratorios, pero todo lo que nos cuente es confidencial.

Hurt at work? Workers’ compensation in Spanish

If you were injured on the job in New Jersey, you have a workers’ compensation claim against your employer’s insurance regardless of who was at fault. The benefits, as described by the Division of Workers’ Compensation, are:

  • Medical treatment for the work injury, paid by the employer’s insurer. In New Jersey, the employer or its insurer generally chooses the treating doctor, which surprises many people. If you are unhappy with that doctor, talk to us before switching on your own.
  • Temporary disability payments while you cannot work, at 70% of your customary weekly wage, subject to state maximums and minimums under N.J.S.A. 34:15-12.
  • Permanent disability payments if the injury leaves you with lasting loss of function, once your treatment is complete.
  • Death benefits for dependents when a worker dies from a job injury.

Two things workers’ compensation does not do: it does not pay for pain and suffering, and it does not let you sue your employer except for intentional acts. But if someone other than your employer caused the injury, such as the driver who hit your work van, a subcontractor on a construction site, or a property owner, you may also have a separate injury lawsuit against them. This is called a third-party claim, and it is where compensation for pain and suffering comes from. We look for it in every work injury case. Read more on our Spanish pages:

Workers’ compensation has its own two-year clock. A claim petition must be filed with the Division of Workers’ Compensation within two years of the accident, or if your employer agreed to pay compensation and then stopped, within two years of that failure to pay, under N.J.S.A. 34:15-51. Tell your employer about the injury as soon as it happens. Notice does not have to be in writing, but a text or email creates a reliable record.

Car accidents in Spanish: the two New Jersey rules that confuse everyone

Car crashes are the largest part of our practice, and rideshare and commercial vehicle cases are a priority for us. Two New Jersey rules cause most of the confusion we hear on first calls.

Your own policy pays your medical bills first, even when the crash was not your fault. Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, is the medical coverage in your own auto policy. Under N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4, every standard New Jersey auto policy must include PIP benefits that pay “without regard to negligence, liability or fault of any kind.” This is why you use your own insurance even though the other driver caused the crash. Your claim against the other driver is for what PIP does not cover: lost wages beyond PIP limits, pain and suffering, and permanent injury.

Your policy’s “lawsuit option” affects what you can claim. Under N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8, New Jersey drivers choose between two lawsuit options when they buy a policy. With the “limitation on lawsuit” option, often called the verbal threshold, you can only recover for pain and suffering if your injury falls into the categories the statute lists: death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement or scarring, a displaced fracture, loss of a fetus, or a permanent injury. A permanent injury means a body part that has not healed to function normally and will not heal further with treatment. Which option is on your policy is one of the first things we check. It is also a reason to get medical documentation early rather than waiting to see if the pain goes away. If you were a passenger, a pedestrian, or in a rideshare vehicle, the analysis changes, and we will walk you through it.

Our Spanish pages on each type of crash:

How long do you have to file? Deadlines in New Jersey

New Jersey generally gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. Wrongful death claims also carry a two-year deadline, measured from the date of death, under N.J.S.A. 2A:31-3. Two years sounds like plenty of time. For most people, it is. But there are shorter clocks hiding inside it:

  • If a government vehicle or public property was involved (a city bus, a county road crew, a public school, a pothole on a state highway), the Tort Claims Act requires a written notice of claim within 90 days of the accident. Miss it, and the claim is usually gone.
  • Workers’ compensation claim petitions have their own two-year rule, described above.
  • Evidence has its own deadline. Surveillance video gets overwritten and witnesses move. We investigate beyond the police report and start pulling that evidence as soon as we know about the case.

None of this is a reason to panic. It is a reason to get answers sooner rather than later, even if you are not sure you want a lawyer yet.

En español: En Nueva Jersey, por lo general usted tiene dos años desde la fecha del accidente para presentar una demanda por lesiones personales. Si el responsable es una entidad pública (un autobús municipal, una carretera del condado, una escuela pública), debe presentar un aviso de reclamación por escrito dentro de 90 días. Cuanto antes hable con un abogado, más pruebas se pueden conservar.

Every type of case we handle, in Spanish

Each page below is written in Spanish and covers how that type of case works in New Jersey:

We do not handle criminal defense, medical malpractice, product liability, PIP arbitration, immigration, or landlord-tenant matters. If your situation falls outside personal injury or workers’ compensation, we will tell you on the first call so you do not lose time.

What clients say, in both languages

Reviews say more about how a firm communicates than anything we can write about ourselves. From our reseñas de clientes:

“Excelente servicio me ayudaron bastante con mi caso, el abogado siempre estaba disponible se encargan de llamar y comunicar todo y la comunicación con ellos siempre fue muy sencilla.” Estefany

“Esta oficina trabaja eficiente. Si tienen acidentes de carros los llaman. Y hablan espanol.” Alexander

And from our English client reviews:

“Great firm to work with! Customer service and communication was on point. They were also fast and kept me update.” Michel

“My team of Alex, Kristopher, & Orchid were very helpful and patient. Took their time to explain everything.” Deirdre

The pattern in those reviews is the one we work hardest to keep. Clients hear from us before they have to call, in the language they think in.

Results

Case value depends on two things above all: how badly you were hurt and how much insurance coverage exists. Nobody can tell you what your case is worth on the first call, and you should be cautious of anyone who does. What we can show you is what we have recovered for clients with serious injuries, listed on our resultados del caso and case results pages. They include a $2.5 million settlement for a woman struck by a commercial van who needed two spinal surgeries, $1.875 million for a man T-boned at an intersection who needed a cervical fusion, $750,000 for a tractor-trailer driver with spinal injuries, and $600,000 for a slip and fall that required spinal surgery, along with many six-figure recoveries. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case turns on its own facts, injuries, and policy limits.

Communities we serve in Spanish

Our office is at 7 North Mountain Avenue in Montclair, Essex County, and clients can walk in. Most of the people we represent live in Essex, Passaic, and Bergen counties, and we also serve Hudson, Union, Morris, and Middlesex. Spanish-speaking clients come to us from across northern New Jersey, including:

If you cannot get to Montclair because of your injuries, your attorney comes to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the attorneys speak Spanish, or only the staff?

Both. Our intake team, paralegals, and attorneys are fluent in Spanish. The attorney who handles your case will speak with you directly in Spanish, and so will the paralegal you text with. You can meet the partners on our página de abogados.

¿Cuánto cobra un abogado por un caso de accidente en New Jersey?

En nuestra firma, nada por adelantado. Trabajamos con honorarios de contingencia: cobramos un porcentaje de lo que recuperamos, y si no recuperamos nada, usted no nos debe honorarios. La evaluación del caso es gratuita y sin compromiso.

Can an undocumented immigrant sue after a car accident in New Jersey?

Yes. Your claim is against the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. Immigration status does not affect your right to bring it, and it is not something we ask about to decide whether to take your case. Everything you tell us is confidential. We do not give immigration advice, so if you have a pending application, speak with an immigration attorney about your specific situation while we handle the injury claim.

Do undocumented workers get workers’ compensation in NJ?

Yes. New Jersey’s Appellate Division held in Fernandez-Lopez v. Jose Cervino, Inc. that undocumented status does not bar workers’ compensation benefits. State law also makes it illegal for an employer to fire you for filing a claim.

¿Cuánto tiempo tengo para demandar después de un accidente en Nueva Jersey?

Por lo general, dos años desde la fecha del accidente para una demanda por lesiones personales, y dos años desde la fecha del fallecimiento en casos de muerte por negligencia. Si una entidad pública está involucrada, el aviso de reclamación debe presentarse dentro de 90 días. Una petición de compensación laboral debe presentarse dentro de dos años del accidente o, si su empleador acordó pagar y luego dejó de hacerlo, dentro de dos años de ese incumplimiento.

What should I not say to the insurance company?

Once you hire us, you do not speak with the other driver’s insurer at all. Until then, do not guess about your injuries or say you are “fine” before a doctor has examined you, and do not sign anything from their insurer without having a lawyer read it. Give them your name and our number, and let us take the calls.

¿Qué pasa si tengo un accidente y no soy culpable? ¿Por qué tengo que usar mi propio seguro?

En Nueva Jersey, la cobertura PIP de su propia póliza de auto paga primero sus gastos médicos, sin importar quién tuvo la culpa. Su reclamación contra el conductor responsable cubre lo que PIP no paga: salarios perdidos más allá de los límites, dolor y sufrimiento, y lesiones permanentes.

¿Cuánto dinero te dan por un accidente?

Depende de la gravedad de las lesiones, del tratamiento que necesite, del tiempo que pierda de trabajo y de los límites de las pólizas de seguro disponibles. Nadie puede darle una cifra honesta en la primera llamada. Lo que sí podemos hacer es revisar su caso gratis y explicarle qué factores lo afectan.

How long does a personal injury case take in New Jersey?

It depends mostly on how long your medical treatment takes and whether the case settles or goes to court. The biggest factor is your treatment. We generally do not settle until your doctors know whether your injury is permanent, because once you settle you cannot go back for more. If a lawsuit is filed, discovery, which is where both sides share evidence, usually adds several months. We tell you where your case sits at every stage so the wait never feels like silence.

Cuéntenos lo que pasó. Tell Us What Happened.

You are dealing with pain, missed work, an insurance company that keeps calling, and maybe a car you cannot drive. You should not also have to translate all of it. Call 973-319-7795 any time, day or night, or send us a message through our contact page or contáctenos. The case evaluation is free, in English or Spanish, and you will speak with someone who can actually explain what comes next.