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New Jersey legal term

Serious bodily injury in New Jersey Criminal Law

Current through 2026 New Jersey legislative session

In New Jersey criminal law, “Serious bodily injury” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the New Jersey criminal code.

What does “Serious bodily injury” mean in New Jersey criminal law?

"Serious bodily injury" means bodily injury which creates a substantial risk of death or which causes serious, permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ; c. (N.J.S.A. 2C:11-1)

Statutes defining or using this term

Charges using this term

Related terms in the same statutes

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.