Union County Car Accident Lawyer

Union County is one of the most densely traveled counties in New Jersey — 575,000 residents connected by Route 22, Interstate 78, the Garden State Parkway, Routes 1 and 9, and a surface street network through Elizabeth, Linden, Plainfield, Union, Cranford, and 17 other municipalities. The county’s roads produce accidents documented by local police departments, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, and the New Jersey Attorney General — across a spectrum of crash types that includes fatal pedestrian strikes on state highways, high-speed residential street incidents charged as first-degree murder, and commercial vehicle crashes that close Route 22 for hours at a time.

The most widely covered crash in Union County’s recent history occurred in a quiet residential neighborhood.

On September 29, 2025, at approximately 5:25 p.m., Maria Niotis, 17, and Isabella Salas, 17 — both seniors at Cranford High School — were riding an e-bike on the 40th block of Burnside Avenue in Cranford when a black Jeep Compass struck them at a speed documented by investigators at at least 70 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone. The driver fled the scene on foot and abandoned the vehicle. Both girls were transported to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead. The driver, Vincent Battiloro, 17, of Garwood, was located and taken into custody that same evening. Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced that Battiloro was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Cranford Police Chief Matthew Nazzaro confirmed the investigation. In June 2026, Battiloro was waived to adult court, where the case is now proceeding in the Union County Superior Court. The crash also led to broader scrutiny of prior law enforcement interactions with Battiloro, including swatting incidents reported against the Niotis family in the weeks before the crash.

Beyond Cranford, Union County’s documented crash record includes multiple fatal incidents on Route 22 in Union Township alone: a fatal crash on Route 22 East near Highland Avenue at approximately 2:58 a.m.; a fatal pedestrian struck on Route 22 West at Springfield Road that shut down the highway entirely; and a pedestrian killed when struck by a 2012 Chevrolet Express van at the intersection of Vauxhall Road and Oakland Avenue. In Plainfield, a pedestrian was struck by an SUV on Leland Avenue near East Seventh Street and transported by ambulance. On June 26, 2026, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office announced that an Elizabeth man had been charged in connection with a fatal motor vehicle accident — one of multiple serious crash-related charges filed by Prosecutor Daniel’s office in recent months.

These are Union County’s roads. This is what they produce.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a Union County car accident, you deserve a top car accident lawyer who knows these specific communities, their courts, and the full legal complexity that these crashes create — from first-degree murder charges arising from vehicle crashes to pedestrian fatalities on state highways to commercial vehicle strikes on Route 22.

The Law Offices of Raffi T. Khorozian P.C. maintains two offices in Union County — at 927 Elizabeth Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ 07206 and 1371 Morris Avenue, Second Floor, Union, NJ 07083. We have represented New Jersey accident victims since 1993 — over 30 years. We are recognized among the best car accident lawyers in Union County because we charge only 25% — not the 33⅓% standard at most New Jersey personal injury firms. On a $150,000 settlement, that is $12,500 more that stays with you.

📞 Call (908) 370-4462 or toll-free (888) 658-4284 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.

Why We’re the Best Car Accident Lawyers in Union County

30+ years of focused New Jersey personal injury experience. Attorney Raffi T. Khorozian has been licensed in New Jersey since 1993, practicing personal injury law — not rotating between practice areas. When your case involves a first-degree murder charge arising from a vehicle crash, a pedestrian fatality on Route 22, or a commercial van strike in a Union Township intersection, you need an attorney whose 30 years of specific experience makes the difference.

Two offices in Union County itself. Our Elizabeth office at 927 Elizabeth Avenue and our Union Township office at 1371 Morris Avenue place us inside the communities we serve — not managing Union County cases from a Bergen County headquarters.

25% — the fee that maximizes your recovery. Most New Jersey personal injury firms charge 33⅓%. We charge 25%. On a $200,000 recovery, you keep $16,667 more. On $300,000, you keep $25,000 more. In a wrongful death case involving two victims — as in the Cranford e-bike crash — the 25% fee difference across both families’ recoveries can exceed $80,000 in total.

Trial preparation from day one. Insurance companies track which attorneys take cases to verdict. We prepare every Union County case for trial from the first day, which is what produces fair settlement offers before trial is necessary.

Union County’s Most Documented Crash Corridors

Burnside Avenue in Cranford became the site of the most widely reported crash in Union County’s recent history — a residential street in a 25 mph zone where a driver documented at 70 mph struck and killed two high school seniors on an e-bike, fled the scene, and was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Cranford Police, and multiple investigative agencies all documented this crash in detail. When a crash on a residential street produces first-degree murder charges, every element of the civil case — liability, intentional conduct, punitive damages, wrongful death damages across two families — requires the most experienced personal injury counsel available.

Route 22 in Union Township is Union County’s most consistently documented fatal crash corridor on a state highway. Multiple separate fatal crashes have occurred on Route 22 East and Route 22 West in Union in the past eighteen months: a fatal single-vehicle crash near Highland Avenue at 2:58 a.m.; a pedestrian fatality that closed Route 22 West at Springfield Road; and a pedestrian struck by a commercial van at Vauxhall Road and Oakland Avenue. Route 22 through Union carries enormous daily volume combining through-commuter traffic, commercial deliveries, and local retail access with the speed differentials that make late-night and pedestrian crashes on this corridor consistently severe.

Elizabeth’s surface street network carries the highest per-square-mile pedestrian exposure of any municipality in Union County. The June 2026 UCPO announcement of charges against an Elizabeth man for a fatal motor vehicle accident reflects the documented pattern of serious crash-related prosecutions in a city whose road network, pedestrian density, and commercial truck volume combine to produce recurring fatal and serious injury incidents.

Garden State Parkway and Interstate 78 pass through multiple Union County municipalities and carry the specific crash profile of high-speed interstates — severe injuries, commercial vehicle involvement, and chain-reaction crashes with multiple defendants — that require immediate evidence preservation and multi-party liability analysis.

Plainfield’s residential corridors — including Leland Avenue, where a pedestrian was struck and transported by ambulance — reflect the pattern of serious pedestrian incidents in dense residential-commercial transition zones throughout the county.

The Cranford Crash — What the Civil Case Involves

The September 2025 Burnside Avenue crash is the most legally complex documented crash in Union County’s recent record. Two families lost their daughters to a driver charged with intentionally striking them at three times the speed limit and fleeing the scene. The criminal case — now proceeding in Union County Superior Court — creates parallel civil proceedings for each family.

When intentional conduct is alleged in a vehicle crash, the civil liability framework expands beyond ordinary negligence:

Intentional tort claims may be available alongside negligence claims, affecting both the theory of recovery and potentially the available damages.

Punitive damages are available in New Jersey when a defendant’s conduct is particularly reckless or willful. Speed of 70 mph in a 25 mph zone — documented by investigators — and evidence of premeditation (as alleged in criminal proceedings) create a factual record that potentially supports punitive damages in addition to compensatory recovery.

Wrongful death claims for both families encompass funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and the conscious pain and suffering each victim experienced — calculated across the full projected lifetimes of two 17-year-old girls.

Insurance coverage analysis. In cases involving criminal intent, coverage questions arise regarding whether the defendant’s auto insurance policy covers intentional acts. We conduct that coverage analysis immediately and identify every alternative source of recovery.

The civil and criminal cases run simultaneously and independently. We build the civil case from the first day — without waiting for the criminal process to conclude.

Which Court Handles Union County Car Accident Cases

Personal injury cases from Union County are filed at the Union County Superior Court, Civil Division, located at 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207.

Attorney Raffi T. Khorozian and our team have represented Union County clients for over 30 years, with direct knowledge of how this court evaluates wrongful death claims, intentional conduct in vehicle crashes, Route 22 corridor accidents, and pedestrian fatality cases arising from Union County’s specific road environment.

New Jersey Insurance Rules — What Union County Victims Need to Know

No-fault PIP coverage pays initial medical expenses after any crash regardless of fault — but does not cover pain and suffering, future medical costs beyond your policy limit, or permanent disability.

Intentional conduct and coverage exclusions. When a driver’s conduct is alleged to be intentional — as in the Cranford case — auto insurance policies may include exclusions for intentional acts. We identify every available source of recovery immediately: the defendant’s auto policy, any umbrella policies, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and any other applicable coverage.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. When the at-fault driver’s coverage is inadequate or excluded, your own UM policy becomes a primary recovery mechanism. We pursue all available coverage simultaneously.

The serious injury threshold. Fractures, herniated discs, permanent limitation of a body function, significant scarring, or substantial medical costs allow you to pursue full pain and suffering damages against the at-fault driver. Fatal crashes by definition satisfy this threshold; survivors with serious injuries from the same incidents frequently do as well.

Modified comparative negligence. New Jersey reduces your recovery by your fault percentage. In pedestrian cases on Route 22, insurance companies routinely argue that the pedestrian crossed improperly. We counter with crosswalk documentation, signal timing, and sight-line analysis.

Two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. Government vehicle or road condition involvement triggers a 90-day Tort Claims Act notice requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions — Union County Car Accidents

What makes a car accident lawyer the best in Union County, NJ? The best car accident lawyer in Union County combines 30+ years of focused New Jersey personal injury experience, two offices physically inside Union County, proven trial readiness, direct attorney involvement, and a fee that maximizes your recovery. Attorney Raffi T. Khorozian has been licensed in New Jersey since 1993, maintains offices in Elizabeth and Union Township, and charges only 25% — not 33⅓%. Every case is prepared for trial from day one.

The crash that killed a family member in Union County involved a driver who was charged with murder. How does a criminal charge of that severity affect our civil case? When a driver is charged with first-degree murder arising from a vehicle crash — as in the September 2025 Cranford Burnside Avenue case — the civil case involves legal theories beyond standard negligence. Intentional tort claims may be available. Punitive damages become arguable where deliberate conduct is documented. The criminal investigation produces evidence — dashcam footage, speed calculations, witness records — that directly supports civil liability. Insurance coverage analysis becomes critical, as policies may contain exclusions for intentional acts. The wrongful death claim for a 17-year-old victim’s family encompasses a projected lifetime of lost companionship, support, and future earnings. We manage every dimension of that case from day one.

A family member was killed as a pedestrian on Route 22 in Union County. What are the legal options? Surviving family members can pursue a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver and potentially against entities responsible for road design or pedestrian crossing infrastructure on Route 22. Where a government entity — NJDOT — bears responsibility for the road design at the location of the crash, a Notice of Claim under the NJ Tort Claims Act is required within 90 days. We evaluate every applicable defendant and every applicable deadline during your free consultation.

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Union County, NJ? Two years from the accident date for standard personal injury claims. Government vehicle or road condition involvement requires a Notice of Claim within 90 days. In wrongful death cases with active criminal proceedings — as in the Cranford case now in adult court — evidence preservation is more urgent than the legal deadline. Contact us immediately.

Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas were killed on a Cranford residential street by a driver going 70 mph in a 25 mph zone. Multiple separate pedestrian fatalities have occurred on Route 22 in Union Township. An Elizabeth man was charged with a fatal motor vehicle accident. Union County’s documented crash record is recent, government-verified, and produced at the highest level of prosecutorial authority.

When something this serious affects your family, you deserve the best car accident lawyers in Union County — present in Elizabeth and Union Township, experienced in Union County’s courts, and charging a fee that leaves more of your recovery where it belongs.

📞 Call (908) 370-4462 or (888) 658-4284 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 📍 927 Elizabeth Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ 07206 📍 1371 Morris Avenue, Second Floor, Union, NJ 07083 💻 Or complete the contact form.

Free consultation. No upfront costs. Only 25% — not 33⅓%. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.