Five-point violations carry severe consequences in New Jersey
Racing on the highway is more than a traffic violation in our state; it is a disorderly persons offense, New Jersey’s equivalent of a misdemeanor crime. If you’ve been cited for racing, you need more than a traffic ticket lawyer; you need a criminal defense attorney with municipal court experience. At the Law Offices of Richard S. Greenberg, our attorneys are prepared to go to court, challenge the state’s evidence, cross-examine witnesses and present compelling arguments in favor of our clients.

Harsh penalties and numerous add-ons for highway racing tickets
Statutes N.J.S.A. 39:4-52 and 39:5C-1 pertain to highway racing. For a conviction, a prosecutor must prove that a person was speeding on a public highway for the purposes a bet, to race against another motor vehicle or to beat a speed record. Any direct involvement, even if you were not one of the drivers, could also earn you a conviction.

Under these terms, a driver, organizer or spectator can be charged and hit with these penalties:

A fine ranging from $25 to $100 for a first offense
A fine ranging from $100 to $200 for a subsequent offense
These penalties may seem slight, until you consider the additional possible consequences:

The driver may be imprisoned for up to 90 days.
Racing is a five-point violation.
Racing usually invites a speeding ticket with fines and an additional two to five points.
Speeding fines are doubled anywhere the speed limit is 65 mph.
Racing is inherently unsafe, so a driver can face charges of careless driving (two points), reckless driving (five points) or driving in an unsafe manner (four points).
When the final tally comes in, your highway racing conviction can cost thousands of dollars in fines, fees, surcharges and increased insurance premiums, in addition to jail time and a license suspension. Getting a dismissal or a reduction of charges and penalties is much more complicated than fighting a speeding ticket and requires the skill of an experienced criminal defense lawyer.

Individual assistance to help you obtain compensation for serious, permanent injuries
When you are injured, you need to find a New Jersey accident attorney who has the experience, skills and determination to help you obtain a just result. At the Law Offices of Richard S. Greenberg, we provide the support you need through skilled legal representation backed by years of experience in courtrooms and negotiations. Our Bergen County lawyers offer hands-on representation to guide you through your serious injury claim, making complex matters easier to understand and overcome.

Personal injury in Bergen County and northern New Jersey
Clients throughout northern New Jersey rely on our law firm to obtain the compensation they need in all types of serious, permanent personal injury cases. We handle a broad range of claims, including:

Auto accidents — With insurance companies paying out less money on claims than ever before, it can seem impossible to obtain a just settlement after an auto accident. Our lawyers use our professional reputation, skills and determination to help you negotiate with auto insurers to get a fair result. When necessary, we provide strong representation in lawsuits against insurers and negligent parties.
Truck accidents — Because of the enormous size and weight of large commercial trucks, such as semi-trucks, big rigs and 18-wheelers, accidents involving trucks frequently result in catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Our compassionate attorneys guide you through a serious truck accident claim to obtain compensation for life-changing injuries or the loss of a loved one.
Motorcycle accidents — When a driver is negligent or reckless and hits a motorcycle, it can cause life-threatening injuries to the relatively unprotected rider. Our lawyer’s help victims recover for motorcycle accidents, even when you are partly at fault — as long as you are less at fault than the other party.
Dog bites — Dog bites and animal attacks often cause permanent, disfiguring injuries and severe emotional distress. We help you recover for these traumatic injuries by holding dog owners strictly liable for injuries their animals cause.
Workers’ compensation — From construction sites to offices, employers must provide a safe workplace, but workplace accidents and injuries occur even when an employer is not negligent. We help you file workers’ comp claims to recover benefits for the harm you’ve endured.
Products liability — Manufacturers have a duty to ensure their products are free from design and manufacturing defects and have proper labels, instructions and warnings. If a defective product causes you serious injuries, our products liability lawyers have the skills and experience to hold the manufacturer responsible.
Back and spinal injuries — Back and spinal injuries can leave you with long-term harm, ranging from a painful herniated disc to paralysis. With decades of legal experience dealing with all types of catastrophic injuries, we help you obtain compensation for both the immediate and long-term effects of your injuries.
Head injuries — Head injuries may result in serious traumatic brain injury and are often caused by slip and fall accidents and motor vehicle crashes. We have a network of doctors to help you obtain the treatment you need and are dedicated to obtaining the fair compensation you deserve.

What should you do when you are injured and it is someone else’s fault?
When you have been injured by someone else’s carelessness, you should take some initial steps toward making sure your injury claim can be settled fairly and as quickly as possible, such as:

Write down everything you can remember about how the injury occurred, including the names, addresses and phone numbers of potential witnesses, police officers and insurance company representatives. For work injuries, write down the names of company or workers’ compensation representatives.
Call a dependable, experienced lawyer before making any statements — written or verbal — to insurance company adjusters or representatives.
Take steps to protect any evidence you may need to prove your injury, such as your totaled car, photographs of an accident or injury scene, clothing you were wearing and damaged personal belongings.

Aggressive representation to save you money and protect your license
The state has a legitimate interest in controlling the speed of vehicles: As speed increases, so do traffic accidents, and those higher-speed accidents are likely to be more deadly. But the state also views speeding tickets as a revenue stream, so the fines are high and tickets are notoriously hard to fight. If you’ve been pulled over for speeding, you may be looking at thousands of dollars in fines, fees, surcharges and increased insurance premiums. An experienced attorney who knows how to fight for your rights can help. In Bergen County, the attorneys at the Law Offices of Richard S. Greenberg are ready and able to provide the aggressive defense you need.

New Jersey speeding fines and enhancements
You face several fines for a speeding violation. In New Jersey, the amount is based on several factors:

Miles above the posted speed limit — Fines increase for every 5 miles above the limit and are doubled for speeding in excess of 20 miles per hour. Points also increase as the speed increases, from a two-point violation to as many as five points. Drivers charged with speeding in excess of 30 miles per hour can expect an additional five-point reckless driving charge.
Safe corridor or construction zone — Traffic fines are doubled when the infraction happens in a protected area.
Speeding in tandem — If you’re spotted speeding abreast of another vehicle, the officer could charge you with racing on a highway, which incurs five points.
The points may ultimately be costlier than the fines; the state imposes an annual surcharge for drivers who rack up six points and suspends licenses when the total hits 12. In addition to fines, traffic violations can also come with a county jail sentence of up to 15 days.

The law does give judges some discretion, and prosecutors are often willing to accept pleas to lower the speed charged, which could save you money and lessen the points on your license. Your case might provide the facts necessary for fighting the speeding ticket and getting the charges entirely dismissed. Retaining a defense attorney whose experience you can trust is vital to obtaining a positive result.