Focus on Burlington City, NJ Dangerous Road after Spate of Accidents

rayaanmd@gmail.com (Scott Grossman) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:50:44 -0500

Route 130 in Burlington City, New Jersey is receiving unwelcome publicity for the number of accidents that routinely occur here. Just this week, a 4-year-old boy was killed when a pick up truck slammed into him as he crossed the street with his uncle. The boy died at the scene of the accident.

Pedestrian accidents have become far too frequent on this stretch that has the distinction of being voted the most dangerous road in New Jersey by a transportation advocacy group. In all, between 2005 and 2007, a total of nine pedestrians were killed on the road. Now, city authorities are making efforts to stem these growing numbers of accidents. Since the beginning of September, traffic enforcement officers have stepped up efforts on Route 130, and over 200 vehicles have been stopped. 199 traffic summons have been issued, including several for running red lights, using a cell phone while driving, speeding, and the rest for seat belt, and stop sign violations.

]]>Locals in the neighborhood and pedestrians who use the road often say that speeding is a very real problem with vehicles on Route 130. The road has a posted 40 mph speed zone, but it's common to see that speed limit being broken brazenly by motorists. This proves a particular problem when classes end for the day because school students use the route to get home. Police have also imposed a reduced speed limit during those times that the route is used by school children.

Burlington City Mayor James Fazzone is looking at other ways to reduce the high accident rate on the much used stretch of road. On the anvil are plans for a pedestrian overpass that should be able to lessen the congestion on the road. Other ideas being proposed include the installation of blinking lights just before the intersection to act as a warning to motorists about the school crossing.

Whatever the City plans to do, they need to do it fast. Too many innocent people are getting killed because of brazen violations on the street.

Dangerous Roads

When there are defects on a roadway because of the design of the road, improper maintenance, inadequate lighting or signage, then the chances of an accident increase significantly. Construction defects in a road can cause motorists to lose control of their vehicle, while the lack of signage can lead to confusion, causing auto accidents. It’s the duty of federal, state and county authorities to make sure that the roadways are safely designed, properly constructed, and maintained regularly. If an accident occurs because of the failure of these agencies to provide safe conditions for you to drive in, then they can be held liable in a court of law for any injuries that may occur because of these accidents.

Proving that defects in road design or maintenance were the cause of your accident and injuries requires the expertise of an experienced New Jersey accident lawyer. More than one agency may have been responsible for the negligence, and may be held accountable for damages. Contact an experienced New Jersey car accident lawyer for an evaluation of your case.

"I was injured in a car accident. Who pays my medical bills?"

scott@grossmanjustice.com (Scott Grossman) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 21:44:54 -0500

Here’s something interesting I’d like to share with you. Over the past decade, I have observed that most, if not all of my motor vehicle accident clients had no idea who (or more accurately, whose insurance company) was financially responsible for the medical treatment of the injuries they sustained. There is a common misconception that it is the automobile insurance carrier of the “at fault" driver that is responsible for paying the medical bills.

]]>While that is the case in many states, New Jersey operates under a “no fault” system, meaning that who is to blame for causing the accident is irrelevant when determining which insurance company must pay for one's medical treatment. Your automobile insurance has something called Personal Injury Protection or PIP Benefits. So if you were injured in an accident, regardless of fault, your medical treatment would be paid for by your own automobile insurance carrier’s PIP Benefits. Another way to look at it is that the PIP Benefits follow the person, and not the vehicle. Take this example: let’s say you are in an automobile accident, but as a passenger in a friend’s car, again it is your own automobile insurance policy’s PIP coverage that pays for your medical treatment.

What if, in the passenger example, you did not have automobile insurance? Well, the law in New Jersey requires that the injured person next turn to any "insured resident relative" who must provide the PIP benefits to you. If neither you nor a "resident relative" insure a motor vehicle, then you would look to the "host" vehicle's insurance policy (the owner of the vehicle you were in at the time of your injury) for PIP benefits.

It is important to note that this information is not legal advice. I must stress this because this area of law has become so complex in recent years that now only attorneys that concentrate their practice in the area of personal injury practice or NJ auto insurance law should be consulted to determine an auto accident victim's PIP eligibility and rights associated with automobile insurance.

Car Accidents - New Jersey Accident and Injury Law Blog

Focus on Burlington City, NJ Dangerous Road after Spate of Accidents

"I was injured in a car accident. Who pays my medical bills?"