Did you know that as a state, New Jersey has the 3rd most personal injury cases per capita? In fact, personal injury cases occurred at a rate of 30.34 per 100,000 capita, which is 218% higher than the national average of 9.53%. Perhaps even more alarming, personal injury cases account for 31% of New Jersey's entire caseload - 166% higher than the U.S. average, which lies at 11.65%. One look at those stats, and it's clear that thousands of men and women in New Jersey suffer from the unfortunate negligence of others.
The truth is, when an accident happens out of nowhere, even the most prepared New Jersey native can become a victim. Imagine driving home after a tough day at work, looking forward to relaxing, but suddenly, your life takes an unexpected turn due to someone else's negligence. Coping with the aftermath of personal injury accidents is a daunting task involving long-lasting pain, concerns about work, and worries about your loved ones.
Unfortunately, victims often fall prey to lowball settlement offers and provide official statements to insurance companies without a personal injury attorney in Montvale, NJ. Once you accept a settlement offer or make an official statement, it becomes challenging to correct the situation. That's where William Gonzalez Law Group comes in - to protect your rights and fight on your behalf for the compensation you deserve.
William N. Gonzalez was Born in 1961 in the Bronx. He moved to Puerto Rico in 1973, where he attended Middle School, High School, and freshman year at the Catholic University of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Ultimately, he transferred to John Jay College of Criminal Justice C.U.N.Y., earning a B.A. degree in 1984.
After completing that achievement, he attended Seton Hall School of Law from 1987 through 1990, earning a J.D. and admission into the New Jersey State Bar. Shortly after, he began working for various law firms until2002, when he became a solo practitioner in the Township of West New York.
Since that time, he has dedicated his practice to serving the community with honesty, integrity, and hard work. His practice was founded with the main purpose of helping those who face crisis and are in need of a personal injury lawyer in Montvale, NJ, who sticks by their side.
Mr. Gonzalez focuses on a range of personal injury cases, including but not limited to.
If you're looking for a fearless attorney to fully represent you and to fight the good fight on your behalf, look no further than the William Gonzalez Law Group. Now that you're up-to-date on William Gonzalez's background and accomplishments, let's dig a little deeper into the nuances of personal injury law and the areas of law in which he focuses.
While there are many different types of personal injury cases in New Jersey, some are more common than others - especially those that involve motor vehicles and driving under the influence. Some of the most common types of personal injury cases that William Gonzalez helps clients overcome include.
Did you know that driver error is the leading cause of car accidents in New Jersey? The truth is that negligent drivers don't pay attention. They also don't adhere to traffic laws or use the right safety precautions. They often cause serious injuries by.
If you have been injured in a car accident that was caused by someone else's negligence, it is important to have a personal injury attorney in Montvale, NJ, whom you can rely on. Your lawyer will help protect your rights and fight for the maximum compensation possible according to local laws. Your car accident attorney will also collaborate with specialists such as investigators and accident reconstruction experts to determine the cause of your injury and establish who is responsible for any damages.
There are more than eleven million trucks that operate daily across the United States, with drivers who work long hours and carry sensitive materials. In 2016, there were over 470,000 large truck and semi accidents, with human error accounting for 90% of those accidents. Truck accidents can cause injuries in several ways, such as if a truck carrying hazardous materials explodes or spills its contents, causing damage to surrounding drivers and property. Commercial trucks can also jackknife or lose control of their steering wheel, which can result in injuries to the driver or others involved in the accident.
Due to the massive size of semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles, accidents involving these vehicles often result in catastrophic injuries. If you have been injured due to a negligent truck driver who was speeding, distracted, impaired, or whose vehicle was poorly maintained, it's time to hire a trucks accident lawyer. Doing so quickly after your accident will help protect your rights against insurers and ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
If you ride a motorcycle in New Jersey, you are at a higher risk of dying in an accident compared to other drivers. Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents are on the rise. The good news? William Gonzalez is highly skilled when it comes to representing motorcycle accident clients and the injuries they sustain, including.
If you were recently involved in a motorcycle accident because of another party's negligence, you can count on William Gonzalez as your advocate. It all starts with an initial consultation with a motorcycle injury attorney who truly understands New Jersey injury law.
If you have been injured while working, it can be a painful, confusing, and emotional experience. It can also be financially devastating for you and your family. Therefore, it is important to take the necessary steps to protect yourself and seek the guidance of a qualified workers' compensation lawyer in New Jersey. The William Gonzalez Law Group has been successfully assisting injured workers for years. Mr. Gonzalez's goal is to get the full compensation you need to cover your medical bills and take care of your family while you recover. If you've suffered an injury while on the job that resulted in lost wages or ongoing pain and suffering, it's time to fight for financial compensation.
Injuries resulting from trips, slips, and falls can be severe and may include fractures, brain trauma, neck, and back injuries, among others. Recovering from a serious fall can take months, and the victim may experience lifelong health issues and incur substantial medical bills.
However, in New Jersey, property owners have a legal obligation to maintain their property in a safe manner. If someone gets injured on their premises or property due to their negligence, the owner can be held liable. The victim has the right to file a personal injury claim to seek compensation for the cost of medical treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering caused by the injuries.
Some of the most common contributors to slip-and-fall accidents in New Jersey include.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a drunk driving accident, a personal injury lawyer in Montvale, NJ, can provide assistance. Despite decades-long efforts by civic organizations to curb drunk driving, it remains a problem throughout the United States, including in New Jersey, which has strict DUI laws and enforcement.
William Gonzalez believes that prosecuting drunk driving accidents not only helps clients recover compensation for their injuries but also serves as a warning to others who may consider driving under the influence.
When an accident, incident, or illness causes you physical injury or emotional pain and suffering, it is referred to as personal injury. For example, suppose you are involved in a car accident and experience a traumatic brain injury. In that case, you have the right to seek compensation for the expenses related to treating and recovering from your physical injuries. You're also entitled to financial compensation for the emotional distress you may have suffered as a result of the injury.
There are three general terms you should be familiar with as it relates to personal injury law in New Jersey:
Experiencing pain and suffering is not always limited to physical injuries. It can also affect one's emotional well-being, which may require the help of a mental health professional to properly document. Consulting with a mental health professional can help determine the extent of any potential psychological issues that may have arisen from your incident.
To provide accurate documentation of your emotional pain and suffering, it is important to record how your daily activities have been impacted and how you may no longer be able to participate in activities that you once enjoyed. This might include difficulties in communication or the inability to enjoy outings that were once pleasurable.
When someone experiences physical injury as a result of an accident, such as a car accident, they may sue for compensation for the harm done to their body. This compensation can help cover the costs of medical bills, surgeries, physical therapy, home care equipment, or any other expenses needed to aid in their recovery from the injury.
Emotional distress can be difficult to prove, especially when it involves defamation of character or threats to one's physical safety. It's important to understand, however, that emotional distress is valid. You have the right to seek compensation for any fear or trauma you have experienced and should not hesitate to fight for what you deserve.
If you have suffered a serious injury due to an accident, it's time to protect yourself and your family with the help of a personal injury attorney in Montvale, NJ. Unlike your lawyer, the insurance companies involved in your personal injury case are not on your side and are known for presenting offers that don't fairly compensate you for your losses.
In New Jersey, determining who is legally responsible for an accident usually involves assessing the negligence of the person at fault. Proving negligence or negligent acts as the cause of serious injuries and damages can be one of the most challenging aspects of a personal injury case. While some accidents are just that - accidents - in other cases, such as drunk driving car accidents, it is clear that the act of criminal negligence caused the accident, and the person responsible should be held liable for the damages.
According to New Jersey law, there are four elements that must be covered when trying to prove negligence in personal injury cases. Those elements include the following.
In New Jersey, determining who is legally responsible for an accident usually involves assessing the negligence of the person at fault. Proving negligence or negligent acts as the cause of serious injuries and damages can be one of the most challenging aspects of a personal injury case. While some accidents are just that - accidents - in other cases, such as drunk driving car accidents, it is clear that the act of criminal negligence caused the accident, and the person responsible should be held liable for the damages.
According to legal duty, the defendant has a responsibility to ensure the safety of the victim and prevent harm. In New Jersey, drivers have a legal obligation to operate their vehicles safely in regard to other vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Businesses are legally obliged to maintain their premises in a safe manner, ensuring there are no hazards such as ice, snow, or slippery floors.
To prove that the defendant is responsible for an accident, it must be shown that they behaved in a way that they knew could cause harm to others. Additionally, it must be demonstrated that a reasonable person in the same situation would have acted differently. For instance, it is common knowledge that driving a car, truck, or motorcycle under the influence can lead to an accident.
One of the biggest reasons to hire a personal injury lawyer in Montvale, NJ, is so they can prove that your injuries are a direct result of the other party's breach of duty. This means that you need to demonstrate that your injuries occurred due to the defendant's actions. To do so, it is recommended that you seek medical attention from a physician who can document your injuries and confirm that they were caused or worsened by the defendant's negligence. It is crucial to document your injuries with a doctor, as it can be difficult to obtain compensation for injuries that were not properly documented.
When filing a claim, you must show proof of loss, which may include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering compensation.
If you've been injured due to someone else's negligence, you should act fast to file a claim and hire a lawyer. In New Jersey, you only have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit or claim. If you fail to file a claim within the time frame set by the statute of limitations, you will lose your opportunity to do so. In most cases, if you attempt to file a claim after the two-year deadline, the defendant will file a motion to dismiss. There are very few exceptions where a personal injury claim may be filed beyond the two-year mark.
The William Gonzalez Law Group specializes in helping you get back on track after a setback. With decades of experience in personal injury law, Mr. Gonzalez can assist you in cases such as car crashes, truck accidents, slip and fall incidents, motorcycle accidents, DUI accidents, workers' compensation cases, and more.
When you are unable to work, have mounting bills and medical expenses, and your quality of life is affected, you need a strong and reliable advocate on your side, and William Gonzalez is the man to call for help. Whether you need assistance with a complex personal injury case or need trustworthy, easy-to-understand legal advice, contact the William Gonzalez Law Group today.
Montvale resident and dentist Chris Walinski’s advice is to never stop pursuing your goals, and that’s how he ended up on the 14th season of "MasterChef" around Thanksgiving in 2023. His episode debuted on Wednesday.Walinski was one of almost 50,000 people to apply, of which only 80 get to audition in Los Angeles. Over the course of two days they're interviewed and each potential contestant creates a dish, Walinski said. Eventually it's whittled down to 20 people to compete for the $250,000 prize.For this ...
Montvale resident and dentist Chris Walinski’s advice is to never stop pursuing your goals, and that’s how he ended up on the 14th season of "MasterChef" around Thanksgiving in 2023. His episode debuted on Wednesday.
Walinski was one of almost 50,000 people to apply, of which only 80 get to audition in Los Angeles. Over the course of two days they're interviewed and each potential contestant creates a dish, Walinski said. Eventually it's whittled down to 20 people to compete for the $250,000 prize.
For this season, there are five contestants from each generation of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers. Walinski was in the Boomers generation, as he was 59 at the time. On Wednesday's episode, Walinski was given one of the five spots for his generation.
Walinski almost didn’t apply to the show but was convinced by his wife a week before applications were due. His wife filmed a video of him cooking in his dentist coat and only a short week later, a casting director called him.
“Being a dentist is a very artistic profession,” Walinski said. “Dentists have to be engineers and sculptors in order to rebuild teeth in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. Similarly, cooking is a very creative skill as well. As they say, we eat with our eyes before we eat with our mouths. Looking at delicious food on a plate should inspire an emotional response before we actually eat the food. So I think both professions offer creative people a way to express themselves.”
After an intense screening process, including a test with forensic psychologist Dr. Kris Mohandie, Walinski was accepted as a cast member on the show. Walinski was flown out to Los Angeles and stayed there for a few weeks. He made connections and good friends during this experience, he said.
“I would definitely do it again,” Walinski said. “As stressful as it was really, and it really was stressful. They quarantined us, so we didn't really have a lot of access to each other. It was to the point where we didn't even have our hotel room keys, and even to get back into our rooms, we had to call somebody to come up with us.”
Walinski did note that the judges acted very differently when the cameras weren’t rolling and even went as far as to say that “Gordon [Ramsay] was wonderful.” Walinski hopes to be portrayed in a good light as well.
“I would hope that I am presented in a good way where people will see that I'm a good guy,” Walinski said. “But also, part of my story is that I'm dealing with prostate cancer. I hope that people can get inspiration that even if you get sick, don’t stop pursuing things.”
Walinski was inspired by the show to make a difference in his own way and also honor his Japanese heritage.
“Because of my prostate cancer, I ended up starting a non-profit for prostate cancer awareness, because that’s a really important thing for me,” Walinski said. “Right now one in eight men get prostate cancer, which is exactly the same number of women who get breast cancer, but everybody knows about the pink ribbon campaign. But nobody knows that light blue is for prostate cancer.”
His non-profit is called “One Thousand Cranes” and is based on the Japanese belief that if you are sick and fold 1,000 cranes, you will recover,
“The money is secondary, I just really want to get the message out there that everybody should just go get their PSA [Prostate-Specific Antigen Test] checked,” Walinski said.
You can watch MasterChef [Generations] and Chris Walinski’s journey every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on FOX, or Hulu the next day.
“Before doing this, I would watch cooking shows and all kinds of shows,” Walinski said. “But, people would start crying, and I didn’t know how there was crying on a cooking show. I’ll be the first to admit, I was crying. It’s just so intense. It was really more emotionally challenging than I ever would have expected.”
The winning $4 million Mega Millions ticket from the June 20 drawing was purchased in Bergen County, the ...
The winning $4 million Mega Millions ticket from the June 20 drawing was purchased in Bergen County, the New Jersey Lottery announced.
Three tickets in all matched all five white balls to win the Match 5 million-dollar prizes. The other tickets were sold in Dacula, Georgia and Washington state, according to the Mega Millions website.
The New Jersey ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven on Kinderkamack Road in Montvale. Under the new Mega Millions rules, each ticket has its own random multiplier for non-jackpot prizes. The Bergen ticket had a 4x multiplier.
The Georgia ticket (2x) won $2 million and the Washington (3x) one was worth $3 million. Previously, each secondary prize would have been $1 million. (See more about the Mega Millions changes below).
With no jackpot winner, the Mega Million will increase to $326 million with a cash option of $145.7 million for the next drawing on June 24.
The jackpot was last won on April 18 when a lottery player in Ohio won a $112 million jackpot.
Here's a look at the changes that Mega Millions implemented on April 8:
Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.
The cost is now $5 per ticket and includes a multiplier that will increase the amount of your potential prize up to 10 times the original prize (except for the jackpot).
Each player selects five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 24 for the Mega Ball. (down from 25 Mega Balls). However, you can also have the lottery machine generate a random Quick Pick for you. You don't need to be a U.S. citizen or a resident of a particular state where you purchase your ticket.
You can win at least $10 for the matching just one - the Mega Ball. Short of the jackpot, you can win a minimum of $2 million for matching all five white balls (except in California). You can check all the prize payouts on the Mega Millions site here.
You can play the game in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The states not offering Mega Millions are: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
The deadline for purchasing a Mega Millions ticket varies by state so don't wait until the last minute. It can be 15 minutes to an hour or more before the actual drawing. For some third-party lottery apps, the deadline can be closer to two hours before the drawing. For example, Jackpocket in New Jersey has a deadline of 9:15 p.m. for the 11 p.m. ET drawing.
Playing the Mega Millions can be exciting, but just don't go spending those millions before you win.
The odds of winning the jackpot are 290,472,336-to-1.
The major lotteries in the United States offer two jackpot payout options: annuity and cash.
The annuity option is paid out over time. There is an immediate payment and then 29 annual payments after that, increasing by 5% each year. The cash option is significantly lower than the advertised jackpot, but it is paid in a lump sum. You don't have to wait decades for all the money.
In some states, like New Jersey, you can win a lottery anonymously. That wasn't always the case, but now winners are able to stay anonymous under a law that was signed by Gov. Phil Murphy. In other states, a winner's name and hometown are a matter of public record. Check with your state lottery for more information.
Here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots ever:
Here's a look at the top jackpots won in the United States, between the Powerball and the Mega Millions lotteries:
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.