The Law Office of Brian J. Levine


Car Accidents


Distracted Driver Accidents

Distracted Driver Injury Attorney Somerset County, NJ

Serving Clients Across New Brunswick, Bridgewater, Somerville, Hunterdon County, Hillsborough, Franklin, and Somerset County

Distracted driving is almost a badge of honor for some busy Americans. Why just drive when you could drive, chat on the phone, text, eat, and apply that last minute make-up as well?

Beyond being illegal, driving while distracted can also be incredibly dangerous and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of injurious auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents every year. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the actions of a distracted driver, you may be eligible for financial compensation.

Brian J. Levine is a personal injury attorney with nearly 30 years of experience serving clients in local New Jersey communities including Bridgewater, New Brunswick, Somerville, Franklin, Hunterdon County, Hillsborough, and all of Somerset County. Attorney Levine has won millions of dollars for his clients through personal injury claims, and has been included in the Thompson Reuters Super Lawyers list every year beginning in 2009. Our firm believes in a dynamic, individualized approach to legal counsel, which puts the emphasis on our clients’ needs and concerns.

Call our office today for a free and confidential consultation regarding your motor vehicle accident resulting from a distracted driver and to learn more about how we can best serve you.

New Brunswick Auto Accident Injury Attorney Defines Distracted Driving

Even as roadways get safer with reduced numbers of accidents caused by intoxicated drivers and improved safety features for vehicles, the prevalence of distracted driving continues to increase. As people become even more attached to their cell phones, texting and driving in particular is a major culprit, with an estimated 26 percent of all auto crashes involving some form of cell phone use. Forms of distracted driving include:

  • Texting, sending messages, or reading messages on a cell phone
  • Use of cell phone in any capacity without a hands free device (NJ law)
  • Eating or drinking
  • Socialization with other passengers, especially if it causes eyes to be taken off of the road
  • Applying makeup, doing hair, or any other form of grooming
  • Smoking
  • Using heads up displays, radio, navigation systems, etc.

Bridgewater Distracted Driver Accident Lawyer Discusses Dangers of Distractions

The human brain may be capable of many things, but the fact remains that multitasking does take cognitive power away from our primary focus. Forensic studies have shown that even slight distractions to operators of motor vehicles can cause slower reaction times and impaired their ability to take corrective measures against sudden dangers on the road.

For a practical example, let’s examine sending a text while driving. It has been estimated that even quick glances at texts average about four (4) seconds. If a vehicle is traveling at 55 miles per hour, a four second distraction will mean your vehicle has traveled about 108 yards without your supervision. That is a huge stretch of road to cover without eyes forward.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving claims the lives of nine (9) Americans daily on average. This alarming rate is even higher for teenagers. The bottom line is that it is never worth taking your eyes off the road. That text, email, or any other notification can wait.

Finding Fault for Accidents Caused by Distracted Drivers in Somerset County

While fault may seem like a foregone conclusion if your accident was directly caused by another driver who was distracted, there are actually several different scenarios which may play out depending on the exact nature of your circumstances. Our Somerset County attorney may elect to find any of the following parties liable:

The distracted driver. This is certainly the most typical avenue and will be at least part of our strategy for all personal injury claims which involve a distracted driving. As distracted driving is illegal in New Jersey, it is a slam dunk way to find fault.

Property owner or entity responsible for maintenance. In all injurious auto accident cases, our legal team will examine all of the conditions which surrounded the collision. If unsafe or hazardous road conditions were in play, we may also choose to find the property owner or manager responsible under premises liability statutes.

Another individual. While this is a legally grey area, it may be possible for us to find a sender of a text based communication at fault for your accident. For example, if a boss was sending an all caps URGENT MESSAGE to an employee whom he or she knew was operating a motor vehicle with the expectation that the recipient might read it while driving, that could lead to being found at fault.

Contact a Somerville Distracted Driving Accident and Injury Attorney Today

At The Law Office of Brian J. Levine, our law firm is dedicated to providing white glove service to individuals who have been injured in all manner of accidents, including those caused by distracted drivers. Our unique approach to personal injury law includes a dynamic and personalized process which keeps clients informed and involved throughout. This dedication to service coupled with extensive experience with local laws has allowed Attorney Levine to recover full and fair compensation for clients throughout New Jersey towns including Bridgewater, Franklin, Hunterdon County, New Brunswick, Somerville, Hillsborough, and the greater Somerset County area.

Contact our offices online at BLlawnj@gmail.com or over the phone by dialing 908-243-0111 today for a free and confidential consultation with a member of our experienced legal team regarding your distracted driver accident, your resulting injuries, and your potential personal injury claim



DUI/DWI Accidents

Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Somerset County, NJ

Protecting Clients Across Bridgewater, Somerville, New Brunswick, Hunterdon County, Franklin, Hillsborough, and Somerset County

Driving while under the influence of controlled substances or over the legal limit for blood alcohol content is illegal in New Jersey. Operating a motor vehicle is an inherently dangerous activity for drivers, passengers, and other travelers on the road. Drunk driving is a negligent action which can dramatically increase the risk of auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunk driver, you may want to consider a personal injury claim to recover compensation for incurred expenses and damages.
At The Law Office of Brian J. Levine, we have built a reputation for being a client-first practice over a 30 year period of serving victims of drunk driving in our local New Jersey communities including New Brunswick, Somerville, Bridgewater, Hunterdon County, Hillsborough, Franklin, and the greater Somerset County region. Attorney Levine believes in offering dynamic and personalized legal services aimed at producing the best outcomes for each individual client.
Call our office today for a free and confidential consultation regarding your accident caused by a drunk driver, your injuries, and your potential personal injury claim.

Franklin DWI/DUI Accident Lawyer Identifies Dangers of Drunk Driving

While most of us will agree that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is dangerous, how exactly do our bodies and minds react to inebriation, and how does that impact driving performance? Drinking can affect our ability to drive in the following ways:

  • Loss of coordination – there is a reason sobriety tests have a physical component. Alcohol inhibits the body’s ability to perform general hand-eye coordination, which can be a deadly combination behind the wheel
  • Slowed reaction times – safe driving is defensive, anticipatory, and reactive. Drunk driving affects all of those areas by slowing brain function and by proxy, reaction time
  • Poor judgement – going back to the anticipation which is required to safely drive, judgement plays a huge role in operating a motor vehicle. We may not be aware of it all the time, but driving requires many microscopic decisions which add up over time
  • Vision impairment – blurred vision, tunnel visions, dizziness, and a perception that the world is spinning are all very real symptoms of inebriation which impact driving

Bridgewater Drunk Driving Injury Attorney Talks Statistics

It might be tough to find an individual willing to state that they believe driving drunk is a good idea, or even that it is acceptable. Despite this fact, there are shocking statistics which show that a huge number of us are still driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol on a regular basis. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, here are the numbers nationwide:

  • 111 Million incidences of drunk driving were self-reported in 2014. That number is actually a dramatic decrease from 2006, where the number reached 161 Million
  • Approximately 1.1 Million drivers are arrested each year for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of controlled substances
  • 10,265 individuals were killed in auto accidents involving drunk driving in 2015, which accounted for 29 percent of all automotive deaths during that time
  • Other drugs (not alcohol) are involved in approximately 16 percent of auto accidents each year, including legal and illegal substances

Hillsborough Auto Accident Attorney Recovers Damages for Accidents with Drunk Drivers

As with most personal injury claims, reaching a successful conclusion to your claim against a drunk driver will require your Hillsborough auto accident attorney to prove that the other driver’s actions were negligent and/or reckless, leading to your accident. In cases involving a drunk driver, that is a legally strong argument when finding fault. However, it is not the whole conversation.
Many New Jersey personal injury claims will find multiple parties partially liable for an accident under comparative negligence statutes. For claimants, this means that they may also be found to be partially at fault for an accident and still recover compensation. This is important to understand for our clients, as being involved in an accident where another party was clearly negligent does not necessarily entitle you to 100% compensation.
Whatever your unique circumstances, our firm will work with the details of your case to develop a strong legal strategy. We take pride in seeking full and fair financial compensation for our clients’ injuries which can include consideration for medical expenses, incidental expenses, physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures, and more.

Contact a Somerville Personal Injury Attorney Today

Personal injury attorney Brian J. Levine takes a client first approach when practicing law in local New Jersey  towns suck as Bridgewater, New Brunswick, Somerville, Hillsborough, Hunterdon County, Franklin, and all of Somerset County. Our firm keeps clients informed and involved throughout the legal process with the belief that a close attorney-client relationship leads to better outcomes. Attorney Levine is a Certified Civil Trial Attorney, an honor granted by the New Jersey Supreme Court to only two percent of attorneys in the state. Lean on our experience and knowledge of personal injury law to secure you and your family’s financial future after an accident.
Contact us online or over the phone by calling our Somerville offices at
908-243-0111 today for a free and confidential consultation with a member of our qualified legal staff regarding your individual needs and concerns and to learn more about how we can best serve you.