New Jersey Injury Attorney Blog

The wreckage of the recent aviation accident involving a small plane and a tour helicopter that took place on Saturday, August 8, 2009, is anticipated to be fully excavated in the very near future. The crash tragically killed nine people. According to an article, transportation-safety officials hope the plane can be retrieved out of the Hudson River by divers relatively soon. Strong tides, low-visibility, and the plane being heavy and water-logged, have all created a great challenge for its retrieval.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who died in this unfortunate incident and we hope that the cause of the accident is revealed in a timely manner. Law enforcement officials in Hoboken New Jersey are reported to be examining the remains of the helicopter wreckage already excavated from the Hudson River.

The NTSA has issued more than 50 recommendations to improve safety in the air-tour industry to improve overall aviation safety, however, according to an NTSA representative, “…the FAA hasn’t acted on many of the recommendations…the fact that we are here today shows that there is a lot of work that needs to be done."

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Seven people were struck and injured by a suspected drunk driver in a pedestrian accident in New Jersey, which occurred after the driver's car apparently jumped a curb, the Associated Press reports. The driver ran into a crowd of people who were gathered on a sidewalk because some of the stores were holding outdoor sales at 57th Street and Bergenline Avenue. One victim, a 44-year-old man, was pinned underneath the vehicle and suffered major injuries including fractured legs and hips. Six other victims, who ranged in age from 13 to 65, sustained relatively minor injuries. Police say the driver, a 43-year-old New Jersey man, will be charged with drunk driving.

It is against New Jersey law to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and to drive with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent. Those who are convicted of drunk driving face serious criminal charges, but they can also be held civilly liable for any injury caused to others because of their negligent and reckless behavior.

Continue reading " North New Jersey DUI Pedestrian Accident Injures 7 " »

An 81-year-old Ocean County woman was killed and her companion was injured in a New Jersey car accident on Route 70 in Medford, the Burlington County Times reports. The man and woman were headed west on Route 70 in a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis when the car went off the right shoulder and crashed into a utility pole. Both were trapped in the wreckage and had to be cut free by firefighters. The woman suffered several broken bones and internal injuries and was pronounced dead hours after the accident. The man suffered cuts and a broken ankle. The woman's death is apparently the 30th auto accident fatality in Burlington County this year and the second in Medford in two days.

About 6 million people in the United States are involved in car accidents every year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). About 43,000 auto accident victims are killed and 2.6 million are injured each year, making auto accidents the leading cause of death among Americans between ages 4 and 44. While a majority of these injuries are relatively minor, some are devastating permanent injuries that have long-term impact on accident victims and their families.

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Two Jersey City police officers and two others were seriously injured after a two-car accident at the corner of Bayview Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, according to a news report in The Jersey Journal. The two police officers in the cruiser suffered head injuries. There is not much information about whose fault the auto accident in New Jersey was or what type of injuries the people in the other vehicle suffered.

Anytime a car accident involves a government employee or someone who is on-the-job, matters can get complicated. If you have been seriously injured because of someone who is acting as an employee at the time of the crash, you could file a personal injury claim not only against the person who caused the accident, but also their employer. If the employer happens to be a public entity or a governmental agency, please remember that there are strict statutes of limitations and you will need to file your claim within 90 days (or three months) of the accident or injury.

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The Associated Press in Camden reported that a July 8 on the job accident in New Jersey in a prominent chocolate-making facility led to the death of a worker knocked into a mixing vat by a blade used to separate products for making a variety of confectionary items.

According to reports, several co-workers attempted to put an immediate stop to the machinery, but were ultimately unsuccessful at saving the 29-year-old victim. The reports further stated that this individual was a temporary worker at the facility.

This story, which was picked up by sources like the New Jersey Herald Online, illustrates the complexities of unfortunate situations like these where safety equipment fails to minimize risk or provide solutions for an accident in a food production setting where “economy of scale” mixing and processing machinery introduces specific risks to an industrial area. The risks presented by this kind of equipment are common in many industrialized settings, including both farms and raw production facilities and processing plants. The pressure to move large amounts of products sometimes leads to a lack of focus on safety equipment and training where tragic results can occur.

Situations like these are sometimes further complicated by the outsourcing regularly done by large food production companies, and by the role of temporary or “unhired” workers in a plant or facility. The emergence of different tiers of worker status in a plant or industrial facility can mean that unraveling the specific responsibilities of the parent company, the subsidiary and the outside hiring firm can be complicated and require professional assistance by attorneys or others skilled in fact-finding.

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Pedestrian accident deaths have skyrocketed in New Jersey, a recent report states. Last year, auto accidents dropped 18.5 percent. However, pedestrian accident fatalities rose by a whopping 36.5 percent. New Jersey State police statistics show motor vehicles were responsible for 86 walking deaths. Three victims were under 16 and 38 were over 49.

What are the most common causes for these fatal pedestrian accidents in New Jersey? According to the columnist, based on statistics provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts, speeders, reckless and inattentive drivers are each ticketed at a rate 22 times greater than pedestrian violators. Police also concede apparently that they tend to target drivers over jaywalkers, especially those who speed and drive under the influence.

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According to a report from multiple New Jersey news resources, including NJ.com, studies show that a startling number of drivers like to text on the way to their destinations, which creates more potential for New Jersey car collisions.

A report released by Fairleigh-Dickinson University shows that texting while driving is up by 40% in the state of New Jersey, with an estimated one in five drivers admitting a history of sending text phone messages while en route in a vehicle.

Apparently, government strategies such as fines for driving cell phone users are having less than the desired impact. Add to that the emergence of driving while texting, which shows an ever more insidious encroachment of new technology into our personal safety. The public used to be worried about drivers just talking on phones, even with Bluetooth or other wireless hands-free headsets studies showed that just diverting mental attention to a conversation could have an adverse effect on a driver’s response times.

Texting while driving goes several steps beyond this concern. The driver has to hold the phone in range of view while simultaneously viewing the road, all while manipulating the small cell phone keyboard!

Is driving while texting a victimless crime? Those impacted by its effects don’t think so. All kinds of potential accidents can result from an inattentive driver, and with the minimum state auto liability rates not even high enough to cover basic auto damage, many of these cases are ending up in NJ courts.

Continue reading " Put Down That Phone: NJ Drivers Continue to Text Behind the Wheel " »

A 26-year-old man from Mount Laurel, died in a motorcycle crash in New Jersey after his motorcycle collided with another vehicle in Medford. According to this news report, the motorcyclist was riding a 2006 Suzuki westbound on Church Road when a 22-year-old woman driving a Chevrolet Tahoe made a left turn in front of him.

The motorcyclist suffered fatal head injuries. This is apparently the 30th auto accident in Burlington County in 2009 and the second motorcycle fatality in Medford in the last two months.

New Jersey Vehicle Code section 39:4-123 prohibits motorists from making improper right or left-hand turns. New Jersey Vehicle Code section 39:4-11.5b states that motorists who are attempting to make a turn must "come to a complete stop and yield to all traffic and pedestrians before proceeding."

Whether you have been injured in a car accident or motorcycle accident in New Jersey, you need the help and guidance of a skilled New Jersey personal injury lawyer who will help determine who was at fault and hold the negligent parties or wrongdoers accountable for their action.

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