According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, more than 430 people die in the United States every year from unintentional, non-fire-related carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, approximately 3,000 people die every year from home fires, with about 75% of those deaths resulting from smoke inhalation. Officials say that the installation of functioning smoke and carbon monoxide alarms could eliminate a significant number of those fatalities. If you are a homeowner, the … [Read more...]
The Responsibility of Railroad Owners to Prevent Accidents
May 30, 2016 by
When a train is involved in an accident, the outcome is often disastrous, whether it's a derailing, a collision with a vehicle at a crossing, or a collision with another train. What are the duties of railroad owners and operators to minimize the risk of accidents to passengers, railroad workers and motor vehicle operators? The Duty with Respect to Passengers Under traditional "common carrier" laws, the owners and operators of a train or railroad have a duty of "utmost" care to any passenger on … [Read more...]
The Downside of Lower Gas Prices – More Mayhem on the Roads
May 16, 2016 by
After flirting with four dollars a gallon (and exceeding that benchmark is some cities), gas prices have declined precipitously, and have remained at or below about two dollars a gallon for nearly 18 months. That's great news for everybody, right? With lower gas prices, people have more discretionary income to spend elsewhere. The economy seems to have benefited significantly as a result. More people are traveling, making new home purchases, buying other non-essential items. But there's a … [Read more...]
What is the New Jersey Approach to Comparative Negligence?
May 6, 2016 by
For centuries, the law has recognized the concept of contributory negligence—the idea that someone who causes or contributes to his own injury may be limited in his recovery for losses. For many years, though, any proof of contributory negligence could be a total ban from recovery of damages. Because of the perceived harshness of this approach, and because many defense attorneys were successful in arguing some miniscule amount of contributory negligence to a jury, most states have replaced the … [Read more...]
The Dangers of Trampoline Parks
May 6, 2016 by
One of the latest fads sweeping the nation may also be one of the most dangerous—trampoline parks. Safety officials say there are now hundreds of parks across the country, and that there are no federal standards or regulations governing any of them. The risk is more than one of serious injury, though. The parks, mostly indoors, usually have banks of trampolines side-by-side and often offer users no supervision, little instruction and little or no safety equipment. Safety advocates say the … [Read more...]
Workers’ Compensation and Third Party Claims
April 18, 2016 by
With respect to many workplace injuries, the New Jersey workers' compensation laws are the exclusive remedy to obtain monetary benefits. This essentially means that workers may only pursue damages through this process. This is what is known as the "grand bargain," supposedly benefiting both workers and employers. Workers don't have to incur the cost and time involved in filing a lawsuit, and can have access to benefits much sooner. Employers don't have to risk a huge judgment by a jury … [Read more...]
Understanding the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Process
April 18, 2016 by
So you have been hurt on the job. You know about workers' compensation and believe you are entitled to receive benefits. But how does the process work? How do you go about securing the benefits you need? Step One: Get the Medical Attention You Need If you have been injured in an accident at work, immediately seek medical attention. If you require emergency treatment, ask your supervisor or others to either call for emergency medical responders or take you to the hospital. If you have a … [Read more...]
New Jersey Workers’ Compensation — The Basics
March 22, 2016 by
If you've been hurt on the job in New Jersey, chances are you know that you can apply for benefits under the state's workers' compensation program. But if you've never done that before, you may have no idea where to start or how the process works. The best thing to do, without question, is to hire an attorney. You can try to handle the application process yourself, but that's a pretty risky proposition. The process can be complex and it's a known fact that as many as half of all workers' … [Read more...]
