Unfortunately, many people in New Jersey have become injured as a result of a mass transit accident. Some of the common accidents that can occur on mass transit include:

• Slipping and falling on train platform
• Being a passenger on a bus involved in a motor vehicle accident
• Getting injured due to a bus or train stopping short
• Tripping while getting on or off a bus
• Being in car struck by a bus or train

If you have been involved in a mass transit accident, the first things you should do, if medically able, is file a report with the bus driver, conductor or other employee of transit line. After filing the report, and then seek medical attention.

After you had sought medical attention for your immediate needs, you should contact a competent attorney because there are many special rules that apply with regard to mass transit accidents and you need an experienced attorney to properly evaluate the claim and follow the correct procedure. The procedure that needs to be followed depends on whether the accident occurred on private company transit line, on a public carrier or a PATH train.

In New Jersey much of the mass transit is handled by NJ Transit, which is governmental agency. Because NJ Transit is a governmental agency many rules apply to NJ Transit that would not apply to a private carrier such as Greyhound.

Under N.J.S.A. 59:2-1, if you are seeking damages against a governmental agency, you must serve a tort claims notice upon the government entity within 90 days of the date of the alleged incident. This notice must be served correctly to the proper governmental agency or authority. Once the tort claims notice is served, there is a statutory waiting period of six months before a person is permitted to file a lawsuit for damages. The six month period allows is to allow the governmental agency or authority to properly evaluate the claim. An injured person must also file his or her lawsuit within two years of the accident or the claim is forever barred.

Bi-agencies such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the PATH trains, have their own separate rules and regulations such as shorter statutes of limitations of only one year.

Because of the strict notice requirements, it is important that you contact an personal injury attorney as soon as you are medically able. At Aiello, Harris, Abate we have handled thousands of cases resulting from mass transit accidents. Our firm has offices throughout New Jersey. If you have been involved in a mass transit accident, please contact one of our attorneys today for a free consultation.

Our personal injury lawyers in New Jersey keep flexible office hours, with weekend appointments available, and we can meet you in your home or hospital room if you cannot travel to our office. Call us today, or contact us online, we’re standing by to assist you at (908) 561-5577.

Were you the victim of a terrifying dog attack? While most domesticated dogs are docile and fairly harmless, when a vicious dog bites, the results can be catastrophic. But how exactly does New Jersey define a “domestic “animal? If you were seriously injured by a dog bite and you want to pursue legal action, it’s helpful to understand legal definitions of related terms. Our NJ dog bite lawyers explain some basic legal terms for you.

NJ dog bite law basics and definitions

Basically, the owner of a dog is to be held accountable if the dog attacks a person. This is true even if the dog has no prior history of attacks, or the owner’s knowledge of such attacks.

Here are some helpful definitions when determining if you have a lawsuit:

• “Domesticated animal” means a dog, cat, bird, fish or other animal which does not constitute a health or safety hazard.

• “Domestic animal” means any cat, dog, or livestock other than poultry.

• “Potentially dangerous dog” means any dog or dog hybrid declared potentially dangerous by a municipal court pursuant to section 7 of P.L.1989, c. 307 (C. 4:19-23).

• “Vicious dog” means any dog or dog hybrid declared vicious by a municipal court pursuant to ` section 6 of P.L.1989, c. 307 (C. 4:19-22).

New Jersey animal laws do not define what constitutes a “wild” animal. But, one can infer that a “wild” animal is one that is not attached to an owner.

What is an “owner” for purposes of the Dog Bite Statute?

Under N.J.S.A. § 4:19-16, “owner” is not defined. For this reason, courts have developed case law to define who is an owner. Typically, the owner is the person in charge of the dog. This includes the person who bought, adopted, and/or registered the animal, or the person who was charged with caring for the dog. Pippin v. Fink, 350 N.J. Super. 270, 794 A.2d 893 (App. Div. 2002), the court ruled that an “owner” is a person who holds themselves out to the world as such and enjoys the benefits and burdens of having the dog.

Landlords who own property where dogs reside, but are not in charge of the dogs, are generally not held liable under New Jersey case law.

Our personal injury law firm keep flexible office hours, with weekend appointments available, and we can meet you in your home or hospital room if you cannot travel to our office. Call us today, or contact us online, we’re standing by to assist you at (908) 561-5577.

As common carriers, charter bus companies are legally obligated to employ necessary safety precautions to protect passengers. What happens when your charter bus fails to keep you and the other passengers free from harm? What happens when your bus is not serviced properly and causes an accident? Our NJ bus accidents lawyer assist bus crash victims with filing lawsuits against negligent bus operators to compensate them for medical costs, lost work, and pain and suffering. A common carrier must exercise a high degree of care to protect its passengers from dangers that are known or are reasonably foreseeable. This includes properly maintaining all vehicles in their fleet. Carriers must use the utmost caution to protect their passengers, the kind of caution that is characteristic of a very careful and prudent person.

Types Of  Poor Maintenance Evidence

When investigating poor maintenance in a bus accident case, this is how our attorneys collect evidence:

• Reviewing servicing and maintenance records – Our lawyers sift through the charter’s service records to see how often service was performed and what problems had been identified prior to the crash.

• Cross-referencing with service manuals – We look to see if the amount of service performed on the bus matched the recommended serving instructions provided by the bus manufacturer.

• Examining the bus itself – Our attorneys look at the vehicle, and use expert mechanics to determine if mechanical or electrical problems contributed to the accident.

• Interviewing witnesses – We collect statements from the driver, passenger, service engineers, bus company employees, and anyone else involved in the crash. We depose those with knowledge of the crash and the events leading up to the accident.

Proper service includes maintaining all aspects of the vehicle and its parts. Our personal injury lawyers see if the bus in question:

• Had each scheduled maintenance tasks performed on it according to mileage

• Had regular oil changes

• Was too old or too unsafe to be on the road

• Met all industry standard safety requirements, as well as state and federal standards

Our NJ personal injury law firm keeps flexible office hours, with weekend appointments available, and we can meet you in your home or hospital room if you cannot travel to our office. Call us today, or contact us online, we’re standing by to assist you at (908) 561-5577.

Your loved ones deserve the best care. They deserve to be treated dignity and respect. When you place an elderly family member in an assisted living facility, you expect their best interests are protected. Unfortunately, physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and financial abuse inside nursing homes is all too common. If you suspect someone you love has been taken advantage of, our New Jersey nursing home abuse lawyers can help.

Signs of nursing home abuse are dependent upon the type of abuse or neglect that has occurred. Some indications your loved one has been abused include:

• Bed sores —if your family member stays in one position too long, bed sores could occur.

• Missing money — if an unscrupulous power of attorney or other person in charge has access to your loved one’s finances, they may misappropriate funds.

• Unexplainable bruises and marks — these are signs your relative is being handled in a rough manner.

• Suspicious changes in legal documents — elderly people of unsound mind are at risk of people close to them changing their wills, trusts, advanced health care directives, and more.

• Hazardous living conditions — if you noticed the nursing home property is not being maintained, is lacking in handicap accessibility, has poor lighting, unclean facilities, and other signs of hazardous living conditions, other abuse may be taking place as well.

• Improper administration of medication — take legal action if you find your loved one is being under-medicated, over-medicated, or given the wrong medication.

• Unexplained weight loss — some elderly persons fall victim to starvation or malnutrition.

• Bruising, scratches, or marks around the breast or genitals — one of the worst forms of abuse is sexual assault.

• Bruising around the wrists or neck — this is an indication of unethical physical restraint.

• Fear or embarrassment — if your family member is afraid to talk about the conditions he or she is subjected to, this may be a sign of abuse. Your loved one may have been threatened to keep quiet.

This is but a small sampling of the various types of abuse your relative might incur. The elderly are prime targets for mistreatment — they are fragile, vulnerable, and sometimes mentally unsound. Don’t let someone you love become victim. Our personal injury law firm in New Jersey keeps flexible office hours, with weekend appointments available, and we can meet you in your home or hospital room if you cannot travel to our office. Call us today, or contact us online, we’re standing by to assist you at (908) 561-5577.

You can’t work. Your disability is preventing you from providing for your family, and performing the tasks you once loved. When you can no longer hold a job due to a physical or mental illness, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. A SSD lawyer in NJ can evaluate your situation and see if you should pursue a Social Security claim. If you require SSD, you have two options depending upon your circumstances.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) might be appropriate for you if:

• You are “disabled,” meaning you cannot work as you did before; you cannot perform another job due to your medical condition; and your disability has lasted more than a year, or is expected to last more than a year or result in death; AND
• You meet the required number of “work credits,” meaning you have worked long enough and recently enough to qualify for benefits.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) might be appropriate for you if:
• If you are blind, aged, or disabled under the SSA’s definition of disabled; AND
• You do not meet the required number of “work credits”

Differences Between SSDI And SSI

One of the main differences between SSDI and SSI is SSDI is funded by you paying in the Social Security system throughout your career, and SSI is funded by general tax revenues. The amount of funds you receive from either program depends on your unique circumstances, such as your living situation. Under some circumstances, your spouse may be entitled to Social Security benefits as well.

SSD benefits are only available to those with a permanent disability. If you are currently working, you might be precluded from receiving benefits. Your disability must be covered under the SSA’s List of Impairments.
The sad truth is most SSDI and SSI claims are denied the first time around, even to the most worthy people. Do not fret. Our NJ personal injury lawyers keep flexible office hours, with weekend appointments available, and we can meet you in your home or hospital room if you cannot travel to our office. Call us today, or contact us online, we’re standing by to assist you at (908) 561-5577.

To file a wrongful death claim in NJ, you need to act within two years of the decedent’s death. So, once your loved one passes, you have two years from that date to pursue legal action if you suspect wrongdoing. The clock starts running as soon as your loved one dies.

That may seem like a long time, but it is actually relatively short. Losing a loved is emotionally taxing, and consider you will have a lengthy grieving period. You need to make funeral arrangements and handle your family. So, if you want to file a wrongful death lawsuit, act quickly and let a New Jersey lawyer handle all the details for you so you can focus on healing.

What kinds of wrongful death claims can I pursue?

If you are the immediate family member, spouse, or financial dependent of someone who died due to someone else’s recklessness, carelessness, or intentional wrongdoing, you might be able to pursue a wrongful death claim. Deaths which occurred as the result of the following circumstances may give rise to a wrongful death claim:

• Motor vehicle accident, including those involving cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses
• Defective product accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Birth injury
• Unsafe conditions on someone else’s property
• Dog attack
• Boating injury
• Negligent security
• Pedestrian accidents
• Nursing home abuse

Why should I consult a lawyer right away?

Even though you have two years to file a claim does not mean you should wait two years to speak with an attorney. After your initial consultation, your lawyer starts to determine if you have a claim with pursuing. Then, he or she may launch an investigation to see if the claim is valid. A period of investigation may take some time, so seeking legal counsel immediately is your most effective strategy.

Our NJ personal injury law firms keep flexible office hours, with weekend appointments available, and we can meet you in your home or hospital room if you cannot travel to our office. Call us today, or contact us online, we’re standing by to assist you at (908) 561-5577.

Many people ask what is a slip and fall accident and can I make a claim if I am involved in a slip and fall accident? In short, a slip and fall claim is civil action, and based on a claim that the property owner was negligent in allowing some dangerous condition to exist that caused the slip or trip.

In order to recover for a slip and fall accident in NJ, you must demonstrate more than that you slip and fell. You must first demonstrate that the property owner was liable for your accident. Under New Jersey law, a property owner is generally not automatically liable for a slip and fall accident. For example, if a patron at a dinner slips and fall as a result of spilled coffee, the owner of the dinner may claim that the coffee was spilled only moments ago by another patron, and that, even when exercising reasonable care, the owner would not have had time to discover the spillage and take steps to remedy the dangerous condition.

The second important consideration is whether the person who slipped and fell was also partially at fault. For example, the dinner owner may claim that any reasonable person, exercising due diligence for his or her own safety, would have seen the coffee spillage on the floor and would have avoided that area and not slipped and fell.

Some Of Other Related Slip And Fall Articles

• Bergen County Slip And Fall Lawyers – What Kinds of Damages are Recoverable for a Slip and Fall Injury?

• Warren Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers – Can I sue a property owner after a slip and fall accident?

• Essex County Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers – Types Of Accidents

• Hunterdon County Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers – What businesses might be subject to a slip and fall claim?

• Middlesex County Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers – Does an accident report have to be filled out at the time of the fall?

• Morris County Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers – What is premises liability law in New Jersey?

• Newark Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers – Types Of Slip And Fall Compensation

• Somerset County Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers – What is considered a slip and fall accident in NJ?

• Union County Slip And Fall Accident Lawyers – Is a nursing home fall different from a typical slip and fall accident?

• Watchung Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers – Common Accidents

• Woodbridge Slip And Fall Lawyers – Potential Dangerous Conditions

Contact us today

In order to successfully pursue a slip and fall case and overcome any defenses that the owner/defendant may have, it advised to seek out the advise of New Jersey personal injury attorney who has experience handling such matters.

At Aiello, Harris, Abate we can evaluate the particular circumstances of accident and give you the advice that you need after you have been involved in a slip and fall accident. Our firm offices across New Jersey. If you were involved in a slip and fall accident, please call us at (908) 561-5577 or contact us online for a free consultation.

If you have a pedestrian accident injury in New Jersey, contact Aiello, Harris, Abate, Law Group PC today and we will be more than happy to answer your questions and address your concerns. Our personal injury law firm keeps flexible office hours, with weekend appointments available, and we can meet you in your home or hospital room if you cannot travel to our office. Call us today, or contact us online, we’re standing by to assist you at (908) 561-5577.