Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, Administrative Law; view more
Licensed in New Jersey since: 2007
Education: Rutgers School of Law - Camden
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2024 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2021 - 2022 No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Please visit the Super Lawyers Selection Process for a detailed description of the Super Lawyers selection methodology.
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732-242-7870
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4400 US-9Suite 1000
Freehold, NJ 07728 Visit website
Details
Attorney Joseph Surman is the founder and owner of Surman Law, LLC, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is the recipient of the 2021 Middlesex County Bar Association Municipal Court Practice Attorney of the Year. A top-rated trial lawyer with more than 13 years of total legal experience, Mr. Surman provides exceptional counsel and support to clients throughout Greater Middlesex County area as well as Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties who have legal needs involving any of the following:
· Personal injury and wrongful death claims arising from motor vehicle accidents, trucking accidents, slip-and-fall accidents and other preventable tragedies
· DWI and municipal court defense
· Criminal defense for drug crimes, firearms offenses, and other felonies and misdemeanors
For most of the early part of his legal career, Mr. Surman served as an assistant prosecutor in Middlesex County, where he tried dozens of criminal cases, including 20 jury trials, for a wide range of criminal offenses. He then worked for a prominent civil litigation firm in his area, where he gained invaluable experience with personal injury claims and other complex litigation matters, including defending tortious claims on behalf of insurance companies, municipalities and police departments.
Armed with this experience, Mr. Surman can devise the most effective defense strategy possible for the accused, and he has achieved a long record of securing acquittals, dismissals and reductions of charges for his clients. During the same time, he has also recovered substantial settlements and verdicts for his plaintiff injury clients, and he has gained a reputation for his fierce advocacy and unwavering commitment to helping his clients achieve the favorable outcomes they expect and deserve as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
A 2004 graduate of Rutgers University, Mr. Surman obtained his Juris Doctor in 2007 from Rutgers University School of Law. While there, he served on the executive board of the Hunter Moot Court Program, and immediately after graduation, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Frederick P. DeVesa, P.J. with the Criminal Division in Middlesex County.
A leader in his field, Mr. Surman has facilitated classes with the Middlesex County New Police Officer Training Course as well as for the New Jersey State Bar Association. He also graduated from the intensive Top Gun Undercover Narcotics Officer Training Course and the Finding Words Child Abuse Forensic Interview Protocol, and he has conducted lectures and seminars across his region on a variety of legal topics.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Criminal Defense, Administrative LawFocus areas
Assault & Battery, Criminal Domestic Violence, Criminal Law, Drug & Alcohol Violations, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Offenses, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Sex Offenses, Slip and Fall, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 50% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 40% Criminal Defense
- 10% Administrative Law
First Admitted: 2007, New Jersey
Professional Webpage: https://www.surman-law.com/
- NJ State PBA Legal Protection Plan and State Trooper Fraternal Association Legal Protection Plan, Member
- Rutgers University, 2004
- Top Gun Undercover Narcotics Officer Training Course, Graduate
- Settled a red light motor vehicle accident on behalf of a mother and daughter. Mother aggravated a prior cervical spine injury resulting in additional one level fusion over prior fusion. Total settlement $325,000. Daughter suffered from thoracic spine herniations resulting in mostly conservative treatment. , 2023
- Settled a UIM claim on behalf of a young female driver in her early 20s. Motor vehicle accident caused injuries to her shoulder and scapular region requiring two surgeries. UIM claim settled during trial for $160k out of $200k policy. Total settlement including tortfeasor was $260k., 2023
- Settled a commercial vehicle crash with lumbar surgery and wrongful death claim for $925,000.00 in Middlesex County, N.J., 2023
- $22,500 settlement for out of State Plaintiff rear-ended at red light. Lumbar herniation with conservative care and one injection., 2023
- $49,000 (out of $50,000 max policy) settlement for 60 year old driver hit by left turn motorist, thoracic herniations with conservative care and two injections., 2023
- Settled a tort claim for driver involved in three-car rear-end collision for maximum policy amounts of $125,000.00. Lumbar microdiscectomy., 2022
- Mr. Surman took over a case from a prior attorney. The client was charged with 2 counts of carjacking, one count of robbery and related offenses. His plea offer had been for 15-18 years in New Jersey State Prison. Mr. Surman was able to negotiate a plea offer and sentence of 10 years for the client., 2021
- Client was a 23 year old female involved in a car accident which was the fault of another driver. She underwent two shoulder surgeries and still has weakness and crepitation in her scapular spine and shoulder. Mr. Surman negotiated a partial settlement with the tortfeasor for the full policy amount of $100k without depositions being taken. Mr. Surman is continuing to pursue a claim for an additional $200k against her own insurance company for UM/UIM coverage., 2021
- Client was charged in a domestic violence incident with 2nd degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and related charges. He was accused of placing a knife to his partner's neck and causing her to suffer defense wounds to her hands in the course of an argument. He was a first time offender facing up to 10 years in state prison with an 85% parole disqualifier. Mr. Surman was able to resolve the case for Pre-Trial Intervention - meaning the client can receive a dismissal of this case after completing a 3 year period of adjustment and supervision., 2022
- Client's vehicle was struck by a driver making a left hand turn in Metuchen in July 2021. Client suffered lumbar and cervical herniations which required surgical intervention - a lumbar discectomy. Mr. Surman was able to recover the full policy amount from the tortfeasor ($15k) plus the maximum underinsured motorist policy from the client's own insurance company ($85k). This was accomplished without depositions, discovery, etc., 2022
- Client was charged with 1st degree Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault, and related charges. He was facing 15 to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison and was detained in jail pending trial. Mr. Surman was able to not only get the defendant released pending sentencing but also secured a period of probation with no further jail time via plea negotiations., 2021
- Superlawyers, superlawyers.com, 2023
- Municipal Court Practice Attorney of the Year, Middlesex County Bar Association, 2021
- Mr. Surman was selected to the 2022 Superlawyers Rising Stars list., Superlawyers Rising Stars List, Super Lawyers, 2022
- Selected for inclusion in the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2021
- Executive Board Member for the Hunter Moot Court Program
- New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association
- State Trooper Fraternal Association
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2024
- Rising Stars: 2021 - 2022
