Are Car Accidents More Common During the Holiday Season?

An orange emergency warning triangle on a snowy New Jersey roadside with a blurred car and driver in the background, highlighting the risks of holiday car accidents during winter.

The holiday season is a time for family and celebrating tradition. However, if you reside in New Jersey, it’s also a common time for car accidents. The risk of motor vehicle accidents increases during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day and it can leave drivers unsure about what happened and where to turn next.

If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident while traveling this holiday season, we’ve compiled a helpful list of what you need to know (and do) to protect your health, your claim, and your right to pursue compensation.

Why Do Car Accidents Spike During the Holiday Season?

While car accidents can happen at any point during the year, the holidays poses significant risks that are unique to the season:

Increased Traffic: Whether running errands, finalizing Christmas shopping, making returns, or traveling to see family, there are more drivers on the road (and at varied hours) during the holiday season. This surge in traffic increases the likelihood of traffic accidents, especially on major roadways such as the Atlantic City Expressway, Garden State Parkway, and NJ Turnpike.
More Distractions: Drivers are more likely to be distracted during the holiday season, usually because of stress, looking at their GPS for directions, or interacting with other passengers. When a driver stops focusing solely on the road even for a few seconds, the likelihood of motor vehicle accidents increases.
Fatigued Drivers: Increased fatigue comes with the hustle and bustle of the season. Like distractions, drivers who are exhausted behind the wheel are more likely to make reckless decisions, including speeding, swerving, and losing peripheral awareness (also called tunnel vision).
Drivers New to the Area: Out-of-town drivers may make sudden lane changes so they don’t miss their exit, accidentally drive down one-way streets, or make other common errors that lead to accidents.
Winter Weather: With average temps in the 30s during the winter season, NJ drivers face additional risks this time of year, including traveling on black ice, unplowed roads, or alongside new drivers who are inexperienced at navigating these seasonal changes. Drivers who fail to maintain a safe following distance during these conditions could be held liable for a motor vehicle accident.

How to Protect Your Claim Following a Holiday Car Accident

The moments following a car accident are often overwhelming, but it’s crucial you take the right steps to preserve your claim. Here’s a helpful list of steps to take that protect your health and ability to pursue compensation.

Pull Over Somewhere Safe and Call 911

If you’re able to, pull off to the side of the road so you’re out of the flow of traffic. If it’s not possible, put your hazards on until police arrive and can contain the area. Calling law enforcement does two things. First, it can help manage traffic to avoid further damage. Second, upon arrival, the police will generate a police report documenting what happened. This police report is critical for connecting your injuries to the accident. It is usually available within two weeks.

Document the Scene

Another important step is documenting the accident. The police report is a critical piece of evidence, however, the officer’s opinion on fault, as well as witness statements are typically inadmissible in court. In other words, they can’t be used to solely prove your case; you need other evidence.

This is where documenting the scene becomes especially valuable. Take photos of your visible injuries (bruises, scratching, etc.), damage to both vehicles, skid marks, weather conditions, missing signs, broken traffic lights, and anything else you believe might be pertinent to your case. For example, if a winter car accident occurred during a snowstorm, taking photos of the weather conditions could trigger an investigation into whether the driver who hit you was maintaining a safe following distance.

Also, collect the names and contact information of any witnesses. While their words are not solely used as evidence in court, they can help prove your version of events.

Exchange Information with the Other Driver

Following an accident, it’s important that you exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver(s). However, be cautious when doing this because anything you say at the scene can be used against you by the insurance company. After an accident, it’s normal for people to say things like, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” However, to an insurance company, that’s an omission of fault.

In reality, it requires a thorough investigation from the personal injury lawyers at Drazin and Warshaw to determine what really caused the accident. Bottom line: Stick to the facts when exchanging information with the other party and don’t accidentally suggest guilt that can be misconstrued and used to deny your claim.

See a Doctor Promptly

One of the most common mistakes we see is victims of car accidents failing to get medical care following an accident because they feel fine or sustained what they believe to be minor injuries, such as whiplash. However, even a common motor vehicle accident injury like whiplash can have severe, long-lasting side effects including neurological damage and pain if left untreated.

Seeing a doctor promptly after your motor vehicle crash does two things. First, it protects your health and lets you address symptoms before they get worse. Second, the visit connects your injuries to the accident, which is necessary for helping to calculate your damages. Oftentimes, adrenaline masks pain, leading victims to believe they’re fine when in actuality, their pain tends to get worse over the following days.

Additionally, delaying medical treatment gives the insurance company a loophole to deny your claim or pay out less than you need because to them, if your injuries were severe, you wouldn’t have waited. Don’t let the insurance company take advantage of you like this.

Keep a Journal and Maintain Medical Appointments

The cars may have been towed and the accident scene cleared, but your work isn’t done. Moving forward with a personal injury claim requires lots of documentation, so our best advice is to keep a journal documenting your recovery. In this journal, keep track of your symptoms, doctor’s visits, and any changes you’ve noticed. For example, has your pain gotten worse since the accident? Did you have to take time off work? Are you able to maintain the same quality of life, and if not, how has the injury affected you?

Documenting your daily struggles is important to determine the total impact the car accident has had on you. In addition to this, keeping your medical appointments, even when you don’t feel like it, is critical to showing how serious you’re taking your injuries and the steps you’re taking to get better.

Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer

As soon as you can, call the personal injury lawyers at Drazin and Warshaw to discuss your accident. Our firm offers free consultations. We’ll answer your questions, including What to Expect When Filing a Personal Injury Claim in New Jersey.

A lawyer can negotiate for maximum compensation and shoulder the burden while you focus on what matters most: your recovery. Questions about Drazin and Warshaw? We welcome you to check out our client reviews and case results.

Were You Injured in a Car Accident This Holiday Season? Contact Drazin and Warshaw for a Free Consultation

If you were injured in a car accident over the holiday season, you’re likely facing mounting medical bills and uncertainty about what comes next. The personal injury lawyers at Drazin and Warshaw will take this worry off your shoulders. We will thoroughly investigate the cause of your motor vehicle accident, speak with insurers on your behalf, and guide you through the claims process so you can focus on what matters most: getting better and moving forward.

Don’t wait. Call Drazin and Warshaw today at 732-333-8141 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation. Our firm represents clients throughout New Jersey, including Hazlet, Westfield, Red Bank, and Montclair.

Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not establish an attorney-client relationship. It should not be considered as legal advice. For personalized legal assistance, please consult our team directly.