New Jersey Injury Attorney Blog

As Halloween approaches, New Jersey Police officers are reminding citizens to be on alert whether they are driving or walking along the streets. Based on an nj.com article, there has already been an increase in pedestrian fatalities this year, with 127 deaths reported compared to 103 last year during the same timeframe. Five of those pedestrian victims have been 16 years of age or younger, which is why the recent warning relating to Halloween emphasizes being cautious of the whereabouts of children.

According to a New Jersey police Sgt., children have been known to run into the street without checking for vehicles in the hubbub of trick-or-treating, and wear costumes that limit their vision, not to mention their visibility to others. In order to help monitor the safety of children as well as others out on the night before Halloween and on the day of Halloween, stations will be putting extra troopers in areas where trouble and mischief is known to be more prominent.

New Jersey Police reported that since 2001, there have been 10 pedestrian fatalities on Halloween and there was one pedestrian death each Halloween during 2008, 2007, 2006, and three deaths in 2005. Two teenagers were killed in 2004.

Continue reading " New Jersey Police Warns Drivers to be Careful Halloween Weekend " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Law & Information , Pedestrian Accidents , Personal Injury , Wrongful death

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Citizens across the United States put their lives in the hands of bus drivers on a daily basis. Transit companies have the responsibility of properly training drivers to operate their large vehicles efficiently and safely so that passengers and other drivers on the road can travel without harm befalling them. This degree of trust, however, becomes shaken from time to time, as a recent Greyhound bus collision on the New Jersey turnpike demonstrates.

According to an article, the Greyhound bus was carrying five passengers at the time it collided with a tractor-trailer. The bus driver and all passengers were injured, but the condition of the truck driver was not provided. The degree of the bus driver’s injuries is not known at this time; however, she was flown to a hospital after having been trapped inside the bus. It was reported that the passengers’ injuries were not serious.

Although it has not yet been determined what exactly caused the Greyhound bus to crash into the tractor-trailer along the New Jersey Turnpike, contributing factors may have been driver inattention or distraction, dangerous road conditions, or even a defective auto part. Investigators may also examine whether or not cell phone use caused the bus accident. A victim of a bus accident may be able to seek compensation from those responsible for the incident to help pay for costs associated with any injuries sustained. However, in order for a bus accident victim to be successful, the services of an experienced personal injury attorney are usually required.

Continue reading " Greyhound Bus Collides with Tractor Trailer on New Jersey Turnpike " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Bus accident , Personal Injury , Truck Accidents

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It seems to be the cause of far too many auto accidents, especially those that involve motorcycles: loss of control. Whether a motorcyclist comes across an obstruction in the road, poor road conditions, or experiences problems due to an auto part defect, losing control of a vehicle can have catastrophic affects on a motorcyclists’ life.

In the most serious of cases, losing control of a motorcycle can lead to wrongful death, as was the case in a recent collision in Tinton Falls. According to an app.com article, a 36-year-old motorcyclist died on Route 33 the morning of September 18, 2009. Although this unfortunate accident is still being investigated by officials, it has been reported that the man crashed into a cement divider due to losing control of his motorcycle.

Investigators of this motorcycle collision may want to examine whether or not evidence points to another vehicle being involved that may have contributed to the motorcyclist losing control.
When a negligent driver causes an auto accident to take place that inflicts serious injury on another person or causes a wrongful death, he or she may be held legally and even criminally responsible. Wrongful death can devastate a family and also impose many financial hardships due to losing a family member that may have been the sole wage earner.

Continue reading " Loss of Control: Tinton Falls Motorcycle Accident Kills Man " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Motorcycle Accident , Personal Injury , Wrongful death

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A recent pedestrian accident should serve as a reminder to all motorists how important it is to be aware of individuals crossing the street. There is really no excuse for an automobile, bus, truck, or motorcycle to strike a pedestrian, especially during broad daylight. According to a recent article, a 26-year-old woman endured several injuries after she was hit by a school bus that was making a left-hand turn at Avenue C and 54th Street. The Bayonne woman suffered leg fractures and head trauma and was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center where she was reported to be in critical condition.

This accident was almost a hit-and-run since the bus driver was oblivious to the fact that he had struck a pedestrian. Another driver had to follow the bus half a block to get the bus driver’s attention. The bus driver told police that he did in fact see a woman lying in the street when he looked in his rearview mirror, but that he had no reason to believe that he was involved. As of now, the 69-year-old bus driver, who is a retired Bayonne police officer, is not facing any charges for the accident.

Continue reading " Bayonne Pedestrian Suffers Serious Injuries After Being Hit by School Bus " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Bus accident , Pedestrian Accidents , Personal Injury

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It seems as though the advancement of electronic devices, particularly cell phones, has shaped drivers into compulsive multi-taskers, which unfortunately translates to a heightened risk of auto accident injury when a motorist is texting, talking, or dialing on a cell phone. Fortunately for New Jersey, a driver’s temptation to use his or her cell phone is curbed due to the fact that it is illegal for drivers of all ages to use hand-held communication devices. In fact, now as a primary offense, law enforcement can pull a driver over for utilizing such devices while driving.

Many auto accidents and pedestrian accidents in New Jersey are caused by driver inattention or distraction, which can be attributed to cell phone use in some cases, even though it is against the law to distract oneself with a device such as a cell phone. Causing others to suffer catastrophic injuries and even wrongful death is definitely not worth sending your friend a message that can wait until you are no longer driving. Bringing such dangers to light, a comprehensive study conducted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute this past summer reveals how any use of a cell phone while driving increases the risk of an accident occurring.

According to a courierpostonline.com article, the study revealed that a driver’s eyes are taken off the road for approximately 4.6 seconds out of every six seconds driving when he or she sends or receives a text message. To put things in perspective, at 55 mph, this amounts to driving the distance of a football field while not paying attention to the road in front of you. The study also revealed that drivers who choose to text and drive are more than 20 times more likely to be in a collision than a non-distracted driver is.

Continue reading " Study Emphasizes the Many Dangers of Cell Phone Use While Driving " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Law & Information , Personal Injury

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There has been much discussion about the apparent dangers of cell phone use and driving, whether it’s sending a quick text message or answering a call. It shouldn’t be surprising then that pedestrians can be just as distracted when on the phone as drivers are while driving; however, this does not excuse a driver from striking and killing a pedestrian that was texting or talking on the phone at the time of an accident.

A recent article from nj.com reported that a man that was on his cell phone while standing by the side of the road along Route 77 was hit by a tractor-trailer and killed on the morning of September 16, 2009. Apparently, the man stepped into the roadway in front of the tractor-trailer. As of now, charges have not been filed against the truck driver; however, it was reported that the accident is currently still under investigation. Police have not revealed any speculation as to why the man entered the truck’s pathway.

Continue reading " Tractor-Trailer Strikes Man on Cell Phone " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Pedestrian Accidents , Personal Injury , Truck Accidents , Wrongful death

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A much debated issue surrounding workers’ compensation and weight loss surgery has raised many questions regarding what an employer should and should not be expected to pay when an employee is injured on the job. A ruling in Indiana last month by the state’s workers’ compensation board decided in a 4-3 decision that a cook’s employer will in fact have to pay for his lap-band weight loss surgery in addition to a back surgery. The injured worker’s employer argued that they should not have to pay for his weight loss surgery because he was already overweight before injuring his back at work. The lap-band surgery may cost the company $20,000 to $25,000.

The reason behind the board’s decision is that the 380-pound worker’s back operation will not actually serve its purpose of relieving serious pain unless he first has surgery to lower his weight. This is not a case of an employee trying to trick his employer into paying for weight loss surgery rather than paying for it himself. If the employee hadn’t been accidentally hit in the back by a freezer door while at work, he would not have suffered severe back pain requiring surgery in the first place.

According to the report, the president of the National Workrights Institute in Princeton, N.J. stated, "This kind of situation will happen again ... and employers are undoubtedly worried about that." It should be interesting to see whether or not employers demonstrate a noticeable hesitance in hiring workers with health problems that could potentially jeopardize their company’s finances if a work-related injury ensues.

Continue reading " Workers' Comp Extends to Weight Loss Surgery " »

Posted by Lependorf & Silverstein | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: On the Job Injury , Personal Injury , Workers Compensation

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