I Got Hurt in a Motorcycle Accident in New Jersey and Can’t Work — What Money Can I Get?

Written by Eric A. Shore, personal injury attorney licensed in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida

If You Cannot Read the Whole Article, Read This First

• You can pursue a personal injury claim against the driver who hit you for medical bills, lost wages, bike damage, and pain and suffering. That is the first track.
• New Jersey car insurance does not cover motorcycle riders. There is no automatic payment for your medical bills the way a car driver gets. Your health insurance usually pays first. Then you pursue the at-fault driver’s insurance.
• If you are out of work, New Jersey state disability pay (Temporary Disability Insurance) can pay up to $1,119 per week for up to six months. You have 30 days from your first day off work to apply. Miss that window and the benefit is gone. Short-term and long-term disability through your employer or a private policy you pay for yourself may apply depending on your specific coverage.
• If the injury will keep you out for a year or more, federal Social Security disability can pay monthly benefits based on your work history. As of 2026 the maximum benefit can exceed $3,800 per month, though most people receive less. Start that application early. It takes 12 to 24 months to process.
• Most people think they have one case. They often have three or more separate claims. And if you do not move on all of them fast, you lose some of them.

 

These deadlines don’t wait for you to finish reading. Call 1-800-CANT-WORK now for a free consultation.

 

A motorcycle crash in New Jersey creates several different money problems at once. Most people focus on the injury case. That is the right instinct. But the injury case is only the first track. If you cannot go back to work, a second track starts running on the same day. Different deadlines. Different paperwork. Different money.

Most people who get hurt think they have one case. They often have three or more separate claims. And if you do not move on all of them fast, you lose some of them.

This article walks through every source of money available after a New Jersey motorcycle crash, in the order most people need to think about it.

 

The First Thing Most Riders Think About: The Personal Injury Case

The injury case is the claim against the driver who hit you. If that driver was at fault, you can recover money for your medical bills, lost wages, damage to your bike, and pain and suffering. This is the biggest potential source of money in most motorcycle cases.

You have two years from the date of the crash to file that claim under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. If a government vehicle or a road defect played a role, you may need to file a notice within 90 days. Two years goes fast when you are in surgery and then in rehab.

New Jersey law under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.2 says you can still recover money even if you were partly at fault. As long as you were not more than 50 percent responsible, you can collect. You do not lose everything because you were going a little too fast or not wearing all your gear.

The thing most riders do not know about medical bills

Car drivers in New Jersey have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. That means after a crash their own car insurance pays their medical bills right away, regardless of who caused it.

Motorcycles are excluded from that system under N.J.S.A. 39:6A-2. There is no automatic payment for your medical bills. Your health insurance usually pays first. Some riders have optional MedPay coverage on their motorcycle policy, which can cover some medical bills regardless of fault. It is not PIP and it is not required, but it helps if you have it. If the other driver was at fault, their liability insurance can also be pursued for your medical costs. But there is no automatic coverage the way a car driver gets.

This surprises a lot of riders. Some find out in the emergency room. Make sure your doctors know to bill your health insurance first, not a PIP number, because there is none.

Your bike and a rental

Damage to your motorcycle is a property damage claim. If the other driver caused the crash, their liability insurance covers it. If you have collision coverage on your own policy, that can also apply. Some policies include rental reimbursement. Check your policy or ask your lawyer what coverage is available.

One issue we see in almost every motorcycle case

The injuries are often severe. The coverage is often not.

Many riders do not realize until after the crash that the driver who hit them has little or no insurance. Or that their own policy does not have enough uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage to fill that gap.

We see this all the time. Someone suffers a serious injury. The case is strong. Liability is clear. But the available insurance puts a ceiling on what can be recovered.

This is one of the most frustrating parts of these cases. The case may be strong. What you recover still depends on the coverage.

Also check your own motorcycle policy for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage (called UM/UIM). If the driver who hit you had no insurance or not enough, that coverage pays you when they cannot. A lot of riders only find out what they have after the crash.

If you ride, it is worth understanding what your policy covers before something happens. Most people do not think about it until it is too late. We see people learn this after the crash, when there is nothing left to fix.

 

When the Injury Case Is Not Enough: The DISINJURY™ Problem

The injury case takes time. Twelve to eighteen months is common. Your rent is not waiting eighteen months.

If your injuries are keeping you out of work, you have a second problem running alongside the first one. The paycheck stopped. The bills did not. That is what we call a DISINJURY™ case.

A DISINJURY™ case is when a physical injury becomes an income crisis. A broken spine. A traumatic brain injury. Nerve damage that means you cannot go back to your trade. The crash is one problem. The missing paycheck is another. Most law firms only handle one of those. We handle both.

“Most people who get hurt think they have one case. They often have three or more. And if you do not move on all of them fast, you lose some of them. We make sure that does not happen.”

— Eric A. Shore, Law Offices of Eric A. Shore

The disability claims do not cancel the injury case. They run on completely separate tracks. Filing for state or federal disability pay does not reduce what you can recover from the driver who caused the crash. But they have their own deadlines, and those deadlines do not care about where you are in your recovery.

 

Every Source of Money Available After a New Jersey Motorcycle Crash

Here is the full picture. The personal injury case is first. The disability claims follow, in order of how fast they are needed.

 

What	What It Covers	Deadline
Personal injury claim against the driver	Medical bills, lost wages, bike damage, pain and suffering	2 years from crash (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2)
NJ State Disability Pay (TDI)	Up to $1,119/week for up to 26 weeks	30 days from first day off work
Employer Short-Term Disability	50-70% of salary for 13-26 weeks	File as soon as doctor certifies
Employer Long-Term Disability	50-67% of salary, can last years	Check policy. 180-day appeal window if denied
Federal Social Security Disability (SSDI)	Up to $3,800+/month in 2026 (most receive less)	Apply early. 12-24 months to process

New Jersey State Disability Pay: The First Income Replacement

New Jersey runs a state program called Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI), administered by the NJ Division of Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance. It pays partial wages when a non-work-related injury keeps you out of work. A motorcycle accident on a public road qualifies.

In 2026, it pays 85 percent of your average weekly wage. The maximum is $1,119 per week. It runs for up to 26 weeks. There is a one-week unpaid gap before payments start.

To qualify you need to have worked in New Jersey for at least 20 weeks at $310 per week or more, or earned $15,500 total in your base year.

You have 30 days from your first day off work to apply. Miss that window and you lose the benefit permanently.

Apply online at myleavebenefits.nj.gov. That is the fastest method and you get immediate confirmation that your application went through.

 

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Through Your Employer

Short-term disability

Check whether your employer offers short-term disability coverage. Many people also have private policies they purchased on their own through carriers like AFLAC, Guardian, or MetLife. These may apply depending on your specific coverage. Plans typically pay 50 to 70 percent of your salary for up to six months. Some kick in within days. File as soon as your doctor puts you out of work.

If you have a private disability policy you pay for yourself, the same applies. File right away. The waiting period and benefit amount depend on your specific policy. Check the terms or call the carrier directly.

Long-term disability

Long-term disability through your employer picks up when short-term runs out. That is usually around the three to six month mark. It pays 50 to 67 percent of what you were making before the crash. It can last years. Some people also have individual long-term disability policies they purchased privately. If you have one, it works the same way. Check your policy documents or call your insurance agent to confirm what you have and when to file.

These employer policies fall under a federal law called ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ERISA puts strict limits on how you can fight a denial. File on time. Document everything. Do not handle a denied long-term disability claim without a lawyer.

If your employer long-term disability claim gets denied, you typically have 180 days from that denial letter to appeal. Miss that and your right to fight it in court is gone.

Some long-term disability policies have offset clauses. A large personal injury settlement can reduce your monthly disability check. That is why one legal team should handle both claims. The way a settlement gets structured matters.

 

Federal Social Security Disability: The Long-Term Answer

If your injuries will keep you out of work for a year or more, apply for federal Social Security disability before your state benefits run out. Do not wait until the state money stops. The federal program takes a long time.

Federal Social Security Disability can pay monthly benefits based on your work history. As of 2026, the maximum benefit can exceed $3,800 per month, though most people receive less. New Jersey workers often receive above the national average because benefits are calculated from lifetime earnings and wages here run higher than the national median.

Most first applications are denied. That is not the end. It is actually the beginning. An appeal with a lawyer has a significantly better chance than going it alone.

One thing people almost never know going in: after two years of receiving federal disability benefits you become eligible for Medicare. Age does not matter. For someone who lost their employer health coverage when they got hurt, that can be as important as the monthly check.

From application to first payment, most New Jersey claimants wait 12 to 24 months. Starting early is the only thing that shrinks that gap.

 

What If You Were Riding for Work When the Accident Happened?

If you were on the job when this happened, that changes things. A delivery driver. A tradesperson going between job sites. A salesperson driving to a client. If you were doing a work task when you got hit, your crash may qualify as a workers compensation claim on top of everything else.

Workers comp pays your medical bills and part of your lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. It has its own deadline. In a serious on-the-job motorcycle crash you can end up with three separate claims running at once. Workers comp. The personal injury case against the driver. And federal disability benefits if the injuries stop you from going back to your occupation.

Your regular commute does not count. Riding to work in the morning and getting hit is not a workers comp case under New Jersey law. The crash has to happen while you are actually doing work. Making a delivery. Running an errand for your employer. Traveling between job sites. If you are not sure, tell your lawyer exactly what you were doing. Let them make that call.

Tell your lawyer right away if you were on the job when this happened. Workers comp deadlines in New Jersey are strict. Missing one can wipe out that claim entirely.

 

How Long Do You Have to File After a Motorcycle Accident in New Jersey?

Three clocks started the day you crashed. They do not care about each other.

 

1. State disability pay: Apply for New Jersey state disability pay within 30 days of your first day off work. This is the hardest deadline. Miss it and the benefit is gone.
2. Employer disability: Call HR today. Find out if your employer has short-term or long-term disability coverage and what the filing deadline is. Do not assume. Ask.
3. Injury claim: Document everything from day one. Every doctor visit. Every diagnosis. Every treatment. That is the foundation of your personal injury case against the driver.

 

If your doctor thinks you will be out for a year or more, start the federal disability application now. Most first applications get denied. Then comes the appeal. By the time the first check arrives most New Jersey claimants have waited 12 to 24 months. Starting early is the only thing that shrinks that gap.

 

Common Questions From New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Victims

Does New Jersey car insurance cover motorcycle accidents?

No. Motorcycles are excluded from New Jersey no-fault car insurance under N.J.S.A. 39:6A-2. You do not get the same automatic medical bill coverage a car driver gets. Your health insurance usually pays first. Your options for recovering money are the at-fault driver’s liability insurance, your own UM/UIM coverage if they were underinsured, the state disability program, and your employer coverage.

Can I collect employer short-term disability and New Jersey state disability pay at the same time?

Usually not both at full amounts. The two programs coordinate with each other. What your employer pays can reduce what the state pays. A lawyer can sequence the claims so you get as much as possible. Getting this wrong on your own is one of the most common and expensive mistakes people make.

How long does New Jersey state disability pay last after a motorcycle accident?

Up to 26 weeks. About six months. After that it stops. If you are still unable to work you need long-term coverage through your employer or federal Social Security disability if your injury is expected to last at least a year.

Can I collect federal disability benefits and a personal injury settlement at the same time?

Federal disability benefits are not reduced by a settlement. But some employer long-term disability policies have offset clauses that will cut your monthly check based on what you collected. Have a lawyer look at your policy before you accept any settlement. This is not a small issue.

What injuries from a motorcycle accident typically qualify for federal disability benefits in New Jersey?

Brain injuries. Spinal cord damage. Nerve damage that stops you from using your hands or legs. Fractures serious enough to need multiple surgeries. Amputations. These are the injuries that qualify. The condition has to be expected to stop you from working for at least 12 months. The Social Security earnings limit in 2026 is $1,690 per month. If you can earn more than that you generally will not qualify.

What if I was riding my motorcycle for work when the accident happened?

If you were making deliveries, traveling between work sites, or doing any other work task when the crash occurred, you may have a workers comp claim on top of a personal injury claim and disability benefits. Workers comp pays medical bills and partial wages regardless of fault. It has its own deadline. Tell your lawyer right away if this applies to you.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit after a motorcycle accident in New Jersey?

Two years from the date of the crash under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. If a government vehicle or a road defect played a role, you may need to file a separate notice within 90 days. Two years disappears fast when you are in the hospital and then in rehab. Do not wait.

If a motorcycle crash in New Jersey put you out of work, you have more problems than the injury. You have an income problem that started the same day. The injury case goes after the driver for what they owe you. State disability pay covers the first six months. Your employer coverage may fill the gap. Federal disability can cover the long haul. Every one has a deadline. Missing one can permanently cost you that claim.

Have questions about your claim? Call 1-800-CANT-WORK for a free consultation. Visit 1800CANTWORK.com or email contact@ericshore.com

Eric Shore is a personal injury and disability attorney at the Law Offices of Eric A. Shore. He has been representing injured and disabled clients since 1994. The firm has recovered more than $250 million for over 40,000 clients across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.