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?
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...]
Bus Accidents — What is the Bus Company’s Duty to Passengers?
In the aftermath of continuing safety concerns with the Megabus, the coach line out of Chicago offering cheap fares to more than a hundred cities, federal investigators have been forced to take a close look at the company's operations. It's also important to understand that, from a legal perspective, the owners and operators of the Megabus have a greater duty to take measures to ensure the safety of passengers than does an ordinary citizen. Under the law, the Megabus (and all other buses, … [Read more...]