{"id":375043,"date":"2016-03-31T21:35:59","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ability-fl-prod.internetbrands.com\/ability-law\/state\/new-jersey-law\/new-jersey-negligence-laws.html"},"modified":"2026-07-16T15:52:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T20:52:49","slug":"new-jersey-negligence-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/new-jersey-law\/new-jersey-negligence-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey Negligence Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n<div class=\"fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\"><h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">New Jersey Negligence Laws<\/h1>\n\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/laura-temme-esq\/\">Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n                | Last updated\n        <time>\n                            July 16, 2026\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-editorial-note fl-text-sm\">\n            <p>Featuring real-world insights from <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/new-jersey\/toms-river\/neil-d-honschke-MTYxNzQyOV8x\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Neil Honschke<\/a>, a New Jersey attorney with more than 30 years of experience.<\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"fl-key-takeaways fl-mb30\" data-testid=\"fl-key-takeaways\">\n    <div class=\"fl-card-content\">\n        <div class=\"fl-card-body fl-card-bg-teal fl-flex fl-flex-column\">\n                            <h2 class=\"fl-card-title fl-h2 fl-no-margin\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n                        <ul>\n<li><strong>Negligence<\/strong>\u00a0is when someone&#8217;s carelessness causes an injury. To have a claim, you must prove they had a duty to be careful and their failure to do so caused you harm.<\/li>\n<li>New Jersey uses a\u00a0<strong>modified comparative negligence<\/strong>\u00a0rule, also known as the &#8220;51% Bar Rule.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>This means you can only recover damages if your share of the fault is\u00a0<strong>50% or less<\/strong>. If you are 51% or more to blame for the accident, you cannot collect any money.<\/li>\n<li>Any compensation you receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are 20% at fault, your final award will be reduced by 20%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div><p>Whether you were in a car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike or slipped on a wet floor at a store in Newark, an unexpected injury can turn your life upside down. If someone else\u2019s carelessness caused your harm, you may be able to seek compensation through a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/accident-injury-law\/personal-injury-law-the-basics.html\"><span data-term-id=\"59372886\">personal injury claim<\/span><\/a> based on negligence.<\/p>\n<p>But what does &#8220;negligence&#8221; mean, and how does New Jersey law handle situations where both parties might be partially at fault?<\/p>\n<p>This article explains the key elements of a <span data-term-id=\"59372895\">negligence claim<\/span> in New Jersey, how the state&#8217;s comparative fault rule works, and what it means for your ability to <span data-term-id=\"59372875\">recover damages<\/span>. Understanding these rules is the first step, but a <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/personal-injury-plaintiff\/new-jersey\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">local personal injury attorney<\/a> can help you apply them to your specific case.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Is Negligence?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In legal terms, negligence is the failure to act with the level of care that a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/accident-injury-law\/standards-of-care-and-the-reasonable-person.html\"><span data-term-id=\"59372897\">reasonable person<\/span><\/a> would have used in the same situation. If a person&#8217;s or business&#8217;s actions fall below this standard of care and cause injury to someone else, they can be held legally responsible.<\/p>\n<p>To win a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/accident-injury-law\/negligence.html\"><span data-term-id=\"59372888\">personal injury lawsuit<\/span><\/a> based on negligence, the injured person (the plaintiff) must prove four key elements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span data-term-id=\"59372889\">Duty of care<\/span>:<\/strong> The defendant had a legal duty to act with reasonable care.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Breach of duty:<\/strong> The defendant failed to meet that duty through their actions or inaction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Causation:<\/strong> This breach directly caused your injuries.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Damages:<\/strong> You suffered actual harm, such as physical injuries, lost wages, or property damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But when do you owe someone a <span data-term-id=\"59372889\">duty of care<\/span>? New Jersey personal injury attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/new-jersey\/toms-river\/fedele--honschke-attorneys-at-law-llc-MTE2ODk2MF8x\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Neil Honschke of Fedele &amp; Honschke Attorneys at Law, LLC<\/a> explains:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In New Jersey, whether a person or business owes someone a &#8216;<span data-term-id=\"59372889\">duty of care<\/span>&#8216; comes down to two main issues: the relationship between them and whether an ordinary person could have reasonably foreseen the danger.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a store owes a duty to its customers. The store has a duty to keep its property safe because it&#8217;s reasonably foreseeable that a dangerous condition on its property could injure its customers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Happens If I\u2019m Partially at Fault?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Even if another person was negligent, the role you played in causing the accident is also important. In a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/accident-injury-law\/stages-of-a-personal-injury-case.html\"><span data-term-id=\"59372886\">personal injury claim<\/span><\/a>, the judge or jury must determine whether the injured person contributed to their own harm.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say one driver was speeding, but the person they hit was texting while driving. The court will assign a <span data-term-id=\"59372874\">percentage of fault<\/span> to each party based on the evidence.<\/p>\n<p>How this shared fault affects your <span data-term-id=\"59372890\">damage award<\/span> (ability to recover money) depends on state law. States typically use one of three systems:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pure <span data-term-id=\"59372880\">contributory negligence<\/span>:<\/strong> If the plaintiff is found to be at all at fault, even 1%, they are barred from recovering any damages. Only a few states follow this strict rule.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pure <span data-term-id=\"59372873\">comparative negligence<\/span>:<\/strong> A plaintiff can <span data-term-id=\"59372875\">recover damages<\/span> even if they are 99% at fault, but their award is reduced by their <span data-term-id=\"59372874\">percentage of fault<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-term-id=\"59372877\">Modified <\/span><span data-term-id=\"59372873\">comparative negligence<\/span>:<\/strong> A plaintiff can only <span data-term-id=\"59372875\">recover damages<\/span> if their <span data-term-id=\"59372874\">percentage of fault<\/span> is under a certain threshold\u2014either 50% or 51%, depending on the state.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The <span data-term-id=\"59372901\">fault percentages<\/span> in a personal injury case are <span data-term-id=\"59372896\">findings of fact<\/span>. This means they\u2019re established by evidence like <span data-term-id=\"59372891\">witness statements<\/span>, <span data-term-id=\"59372892\">accident reconstruction<\/span>, <span data-term-id=\"59372885\">police reports<\/span>, and expert testimony.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>New Jersey&#8217;s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-term-id=\"59372878\">New Jersey\u2019s <\/span><span data-term-id=\"59372878\">comparative negligence<\/span><span data-term-id=\"59372878\"> law<\/span>, <a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/nj\/title-2a-administration-of-civil-and-criminal-justice\/nj-st-sect-2a-15-5-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-term-id=\"59372879\">N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1<\/span><\/a>, establishes a &#8220;51% bar rule.&#8221; This means you can <span data-term-id=\"59372875\">recover damages<\/span> as long as your share of the fault is <strong>not greater than<\/strong> the fault of the person you are suing. In other words, your <span data-term-id=\"59372874\">percentage of fault<\/span> must be 50% or less.<\/p>\n<p>Honschke explains:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A plaintiff can still <span data-term-id=\"59372875\">recover damages<\/span> for injuries suffered in an accident, as long as they were 50% or less responsible for the accident itself. The percentage of negligence attributed to each party can be ultimately decided by a jury following a complete trial of the facts. More often, the percentage of liability is usually agreed upon by the parties&#8217; representatives, lawyers\/insurance adjusters, after lengthy negotiations relying upon the evidence discovered during their investigations.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if the dispute is over which driver passed a red light causing an accident, a jury can decide how to attribute responsibility between the drivers, or the drivers&#8217; representatives can agree upon a split of liability, for instance, 50\/50. The injured party then only receives 50% of what the parties agree is the financial value of the injuries suffered.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ordinary Negligence vs. Gross Negligence<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>You may have heard the term &#8220;gross negligence,&#8221; which is different from the simple carelessness involved in most accidents. Honschke clarifies the difference:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In New Jersey, the line between ordinary negligence and gross negligence is the difference between a simple mistake, or lapse in judgment, that causes an injury and a reckless disregard for the safety of others, leading to injury.<\/p>\n<p>For example, ordinary negligence is a common mistake like missing a stop sign; gross negligence, on the other hand, involves an extreme lack of even &#8216;slight care.&#8217; Gross negligence can significantly increase a claim&#8217;s value by infuriating a jury or by allowing the injured party to pursue punitive damages designed to punish the wrongdoer in addition to compensating the victim.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Common Personal Injury Claims and What You Can Recover<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Negligence is the foundation for most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/accident-injury-law\/injury-law-basics.html\"><span data-term-id=\"59372886\">personal injury claims<\/span><\/a>. If you can prove the four elements, you may have a case. Common types of claims include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/car-accidents.html\">Car accidents<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/medical-malpractice.html\">Medical malpractice<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/product-liability.html\"><span data-term-id=\"59372882\">Product liability<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><span data-term-id=\"59372883\">Premises liability<\/span> (often called &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/accident-injury-law\/premises-liability-who-is-responsible.html\"><span data-term-id=\"59372881\">slip and fall<\/span><\/a>&#8221; claims)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/injury\/torts-and-personal-injuries\/wrongful-death.html\">Wrongful death<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is critical to act quickly if you\u2019re considering a <span data-term-id=\"59372888\">personal injury lawsuit<\/span>. Under New Jersey&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/new-jersey-law\/new-jersey-civil-statute-of-limitations-laws.html\">statute of limitations<\/a>, you have <strong>two years<\/strong> from the date of the injury to file a claim in court. If you miss this deadline, you will lose your right to seek compensation.<\/p>\n<p>If your claim is successful, you may be awarded damages to compensate you for your losses. These can include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Economic damages:<\/strong> Compensation for financial losses like medical bills, lost income, and repair costs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Non-economic damages:<\/strong> Compensation for non-financial harm like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Punitive damages:<\/strong> As mentioned earlier, these are rare and only awarded in cases involving gross negligence or intentional misconduct to punish the wrongdoer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Get Legal Help With Your New Jersey Negligence Claim<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Navigating a <span data-term-id=\"59372886\">personal injury claim<\/span> can be complex, especially when dealing with New Jersey&#8217;s 51% <span data-term-id=\"59372873\">comparative negligence<\/span> rule. An experienced attorney can help gather evidence, negotiate with <span data-term-id=\"59372876\">insurance companies<\/span>, and ensure your rights are protected. If you have been injured and believe someone else is at fault, contact a qualified <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/personal-injury-plaintiff\/new-jersey\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Jersey injury attorney<\/a> to discuss your case and explore your legal options.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__question fl-text-lg-bold\"\n        >Was this helpful?<\/span>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"Yes\"\n                value=\"yes\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">Yes<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                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