New Jersey Accident and Injury Law Blog : New Jersey Injury Lawyer & Attorney : The Grossman Law Firm : Serving Monmouth County, Bergen County

A new rule which goes into immediate effect, bans commercial truck drivers and bus drivers from sending and receiving text messages while driving. The new rule was announced by the Department of Transportation this week, and aims to cut down on the risk of accidents from truck drivers distracted by texting at the wheel.

The ban is a part of efforts by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to deal with the problem of distracted driving. . Secretary LaHood has taken up the issue with great enthusiasm, and has been responsible for a number of recent steps that aim to eliminate these risks.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The New York Times has published an excellent report on the increasing frequency of radiation errors in many of New York’s hospitals, and the trail of debilitation, serious injuries or death that are often left behind. These increasing numbers of errors have come with the introduction of sophisticated complex machines that promise targeted cures using radiation therapy.

 The New York Times profiles a few cases where individuals have been injured by excessive dosages of radiation, and later died from their injuries. In one of the cases profiled, the radiation was delivered to the wrong parts of the body, because of technical malfunctioning of the equipment, and the failure of the staff to catch the error in time.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

New Jersey’s dram shop liability laws are involved in a lawsuit involving a man who was served alcohol while he was intoxicated, ended up in a fight and suffered serious brain injuries.   

The lawsuit has been filed by Louis Vozza. In June 2008, his uncle Daniel Vozza drank alcohol at one establishment, the Harley’s Irish Pub, before moving on to another one, Straphanger Saloon where he continued to drink. Then, Vozza got into a fight with the owner of the Straphanger Saloon, who was also intoxicated. During the scuffle, the bar owner apparently grabbed Vozza’s shirt, causing the man to fall on the asphalt and strike his head. Vozza suffered a serious brain injury, which has since left him mentally incapacitated. He suffers from memory loss, among other problems.  The lawsuit names the two establishments, and claims that these two served alcohol to Vozza who was “visibly intoxicated.” The owner of Harley’s Irish Pub insists that Vozza was not drunk when he left the bar on the day of the fight.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The family of a New Jersey man who was killed when he became trapped in the door of an NJ transit train and dragged to his death, has settled with the agency.

The family of John D’Agostino has settled its claim for $2.5 million.  On November 21^st 2006, D’Agostino was getting off a train at a Bradley Beach station, when the train door closed shut on his shoulder and arm. The train began to pull out of the station. D’Agostino began to scream for help, but to no avail.  The train gathered speed, dragging the 49-year-old man with it. D’Agostino was eventually dragged under the train, and killed.  

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration held a series of sessions to gather public input on the hours of service rules for truckers that are being revised. The fourth session was held Davenport, Iowa on the 25^th of January. The first 3 had been held in Arlington, Virginia; Dallas, Texas and El Segundo, California. The FMCSA had invited commercial truckers, trucking companies, owners,  operators; truck safety groups, researchers and other people to discuss issues that impact truck safety. These issues include rest time, on duty time, sleeper berth use, loading and unloading times, and others. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

Last month’s New England International Auto Show displayed a variety of advanced new auto safety features that don’t just minimize injuries in accidents, but also work to prevent crashes, and increase your chances of survival if you are involved in one. What’s more, many of these features are not restricted to high end luxury models, but are being introduced even in mid range and low range models.

For automakers, it makes sense to pump their vehicles with the most high-tech safety features. Surveys show that safety is one of the top most considerations for a car buyer. Even in a recession, car buyers are looking for more than seatbelts and airbags to keep them and their loved ones safe during an accident.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

A new law will require all occupants of a vehicle in New Jersey to buckle up. As a New Jersey auto accident lawyer, I am pleased with the law which is the latest one in a series designed to protect New Jersey motorists in the event of accidents. However, it would have been even more encouraging if the law had been signed in with primary enforcement. Currently, the bill comes with secondary enforcement, which means that police must first stop the vehicle for another offense, before handing out a ticket for failure to buckle up.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

A new group that aims to act as Mothers Against Drunk Driving does to support families of DUI crash victims, has just been launched in Washington. FocusDriven is meant to support families of persons killed in auto accidents involving a distracted driver. It’s part of the nationwide campaign against distracted driving, and it aims to a give a voice to victims of such crashes, who have not had enough attention paid to them till now.

The launch of the group was accompanied by new statistics by the National Safety Council that indicates that 28 percent of all accidents involve motorists distracted by their cell phones. Approximately 1.3 million accidents are caused by persons having a conversation on their cell phone behind the wheel, while 200,000 accidents are caused by text messaging drivers. Every year, these accidents kill more than 2,500 people.  It’s the families of these victims that FocusDriven will give a voice to.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

A highway safety group has awarded top marks to the state of New Jersey for its adoption of highway safety laws that can prevent injuries and minimize fatalities in accidents.

The group Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety has released its 7^th Annual Road Map to State Highway Safety Laws report. The group reviewed 15 basic laws that will contribute to a reduction in fatalities and injuries in highway accidents. All 50 states and the District of Columbia were reviewed based on whether they have adopted all these laws.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks