The City Council, at its Wednesday meeting, approved 8-0 an ordinance to implement a citywide safety manual that lays down construction regulations for builders to insure workers' safety.

The manual was drafted in the aftermath of several accidents that have taken place on construction sites in Jersey City this year, including the fatal death in March of a 31-year-old worker who died after falling 14 stories from 77 Hudson St.

For more information, follow the link below.

Woman in Mt. Olive car crash flown to hospital

MOUNT OLIVE -- A 65-year-old Hackettstown woman was trapped in an overturned vehicle for approximately 30 minutes while Flanders firefighters used the Jaws of Life to cut through the car to extricate her Sunday morning, rescue officials said.

For more information, follow the link below.

Drowsy Driving as a Profession in the Transportation Industry

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a common disorder that is a major cause of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) that leads to people falling asleep while sitting, reading, and even driving. According to yearly statistics, more than 1,300 fatalities and 70,000 injuries are directly caused by drowsy driving. 53% of Americans report driving drowsy, and 19% also report nodding off behind the wheel. 23% of American drivers claim to personally know someone who has crashed due to drowsy driving. And those with sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder, are 7 times more likely to get into an accident. A person's obesity, measured by their Body Mass Index (BMI), is a major predisposing factor.

For more information, follow the link below.

DWI deaths decrease in N.J.

WASHINGTON -- Drunken-driving crash fatalities fell by 6.1 percent in New Jersey last year compared with 2006, the U.S. Transportation Department said Thursday.

For more information, follow the link below.

One killed, 4 hurt in Turnpike collision

One man was killed and four others injured yesterday when a car collided with a van on the New Jersey Turnpike in Newark, State Police said.

The accident occurred about 9:10 a.m. near Interchange 15 on the northbound ramp of the eastern spur, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a State Police spokesman.

For more information, follow the link below.

N.J. Woman Charged In Husband's Hit-Run Death

WINSLOW, N.J. (CBS 3) ? Police in Camden County, New Jersey have charged a woman with the hit and run death of her husband.

According to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, Patricia Herndandez, 34, of Sicklerville, on the way to pick up her husband, Pedro Hernandez, 32, from his job at A.C. Moore at about 2 a.m. July 26, when she allegedly ran him over with her car.

For more information, follow the link below.

Bus, 75-year-old Biker Collide; Victim Trapped Under Wheels

OCEAN CITY — A 75-year-old woman sustained a serious leg injury July 25 when she was struck by a New Jersey Transit Bus while riding her bike east on Ninth Street, then trapped under the bus until she was freed by firefighters, according to police.

According to Lt. Steve Ang, police received a report of a pedestrian motor vehicle accident at 12:17 p.m. When they arrived, they found Eleanor M. Vekony, of this city, trapped under the rear dual wheels of the bus.

For more information, follow the link below.

New construction guidelines drafted to stop accidents

In the wake of fatal high-rise accidents in Jersey City and across the Hudson, Jersey City's construction code official has written a safety manual for builders that city officials say will improve worker safety.

The City Council is expected to introduce an ordinance tomorrow giving Construction Code Official Ray Meyer broad powers to enforce his guidelines.

For more information, follow the link below.

Edison man faces DWI charge in Florham Park crash

An Edison man has been charged with driving while intoxicated after he allegedly tried to pass an SUV on the right shoulder of Route 24 in Florham Park but sent his truck careening into the woods, State Police said today.

Richard Oliver, 52, was traveling in the right lane of Route 24 westbound shortly before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday when he came up on a Ford sport utility vehicle and tried to pass it by veering onto the right shoulder, authorities said.

For more information, follow the link below.

Charge Filed Against Chief of Truck Firm After Crash

The president of a New Jersey company that owns the dump truck that crashed in Chinatown last week has been charged with unlicensed collection of trade waste, officials said on Wednesday.

A pedestrian was killed and four people were injured when the truck, carrying a load of fill — rocks, dirt and earth — came off the Manhattan Bridge about 8 a.m. on June 23 and plowed into a parked bus at Canal Street and the Bowery.

NJ, Texas courts scrap awards from Vioxx cases

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Appeals courts in New Jersey and Texas on Thursday scrapped verdicts against the drugmaker Merck & Co. Inc. stemming from some of the earliest trials involving its once popular painkiller Vioxx.

A Texas court reversed a $26 million verdict against the drug company stemming from the first trial. The court found no evidence that Robert Ernst suffered a fatal heart problem from a blood clot triggered by Vioxx. He had been taking the now-withdrawn drug for eight months before being stricken in May 2001.

Family of teen killed by drunken driver urges ignition locks

TRENTON, N.J. - Richard and Sherri Branca know the anguish of having a child die because of a repeat drunken driver. The South Jersey couple is turning grief over the death of their 17-year-old son into advocacy for legislation requiring alcohol-sensitizing ignition locks on the vehicles of everyone convicted of DUI.

For more information, follow the link below.

1 injured, 1 walks away in Route 78 auto crash

An unidentified driver was hospitalized with serious injuries last night after his car flipped on Route 78 east in Union County, New Jersey State Police said.

The two-door Dodge Viper crashed on the highway in Berkeley Heights shortly after 4 p.m., according to State Police, who were still investigating the cause of the accident last night.

For more information, follow the link below.

Worker Killed in Newark Construction Accident

NEWARK, N.J (1010 WINS/AP) -- Police say a construction worker in Newark has died after a concrete wall toppled onto him.

For more information, follow the link below.

Victim recovering after drunk driving crash at Absecon Shop Rite

ABSECON - A woman hit by an allegedly drunken driver is recovering from surgery as the families involved try to cope with the aftermath of the crash, police said Wednesday.

Driver Sharon M. Eberwine, 30, was charged Tuesday with driving while intoxicated. Police said she drove her car over a curb in the parking lot of ShopRite on the White Horse Pike at about 6:15 p.m. and crashed into a row of shopping carts before hitting three women, two of whom were in wheelchairs, and a mailbox.

For more information, follow the link below.

Fatal crash ties up I-95 for miles

MILFORD, Conn. - State police say a fatal accident involving two trucks and a sport utility vehicle on Interstate 95 in Milford snarled morning rush hour traffic for miles.

All three vehicles were southbound near Exit 35 around 5:30 a.m. Thursday when the SUV slowed for traffic. A truck, owned by Ebo Logistics of Avenel, N.J., rear-ended the SUV and pushed it into another truck.

For more information, follow the link below.

Construction worker injured on Staten Island knew job's dangers, but needed money

Mario Pais had taken the job maybe a month ago, after realizing that his own general contracting work wouldn't be enough to pay his mortgage.

And the 48-year-old Linden, N.J., man knew the construction work on Clove Road in Staten Island had its dangers -- just a few weeks ago, one of his supervisors was hit, though not injured, by a falling pipe, his family said.

For more information, follow the link below.

Family support, accident awareness offered at Brain Injury Association

The Brain Injury Association of New Jersey, a self-funded, chartered affiliate of the Brain Injury Association of America, recently moved from Edison to 825 Georges Road in North Brunswick. The purpose of the organization is to support people, with brain injuries, advocate public awareness and teach prevention of both traumatic and acquired brain injuries.

A traumatic injury is one that is caused by an external physical force that impairs cognitive, behavioral or emotional abilities. These injuries occur from everyday activities such as falls, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, sports injuries and concussions.

For more information, follow the link below.

Car Versus Motorcycle Accident on Dennisville Road

DENNISVILLE- On May 7 at 6:40 p.m. Dennisville Fire Department, Ocean View Fire Department, Belleplain Emergency Corps, Atlanticare Paramedics and New Jersey State Police responded in front of 809 Dennisville Road for a car versus motorcycle accident.

The rider of the motorcycle was airlifted to Atlanticare Regional Medical Center City Trauma Division by M.O.N.O.C. Air One Medevac.

For more information, follow the link below.

Ex-cop on motorcycle killed in Jersey crash

A retired NYPD detective was killed and his wife critically injured when their motorcycle was struck yesterday in New Jersey.

Edward Rauer, 48, of Manahawkin, N.J., formerly of Graniteville, was pronounced dead following a collision at the intersection of Route 72 and Hull Road in Stafford Township, police said.

For more information, follow the link below.

Motorcycle rider killed on Route 251

FRANKFORD — A rider was killed in a motorcycle accident Saturday afternoon on Route 521 in Frankford, New Jersey State Police said.

Police said Jason W. Robbins, 42, of Newton, lost control of his 2001 Harley Davidson while negotiating a righthand curve. His bike overturned and slid into the southbound lane, directly into the path of pickup truck driven by Vincent Braccioforte, of Blairstown, which was hauling a flatbed utility trailer with a front-end loader. Robbins was thrown from his motorcycle and also slid into the southbound lane

For more information, follow the link below.

Travelers of New Jersey Sponsors "Teens Behind The Wheel"

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--It’s a well known fact that, statistically, newly licensed teen drivers have higher accident and traffic violation rates. Find out why the teen driving environment is often so dangerous as the program “Teens Behind the Wheel” takes an unprecedented look at what actually happens when newly licensed teenagers drive. The one-hour documentary, presented by Travelers of New Jersey, premieres on New Jersey Public Television (NJN) at 9 p.m. on May 9.

For the production,10 newly licensed teens agreed to have video cameras mounted to the windshields of their cars for six months. The cameras had one lens aimed at the road and another lens pointed at the driver. Any sudden change in the vehicle’s movement triggered the camera to record 20 seconds of footage, starting a few seconds before the incident actually occurred. The documentary was not intended to catch kids behaving badly, but to give viewers an accurate look at what happens in the early months of teenage driving. The revealing results may shock some parents. The cameras recorded numerous crashes and traffic violations as well as risky driving behavior.

For more information, follow the link below.

Two killed in Hunterdon County crash

An elderly couple from New York died this afternoon, authorities said, after they were involved in a head on crash on Rt. 31 in Hampton, Hunterdon County.

Police did not identify the victims, but said the male driver was 87-years-old and his wife was 83-years-old. They were driving a Toyota Corolla and both were pronounced dead at the scene.

For more information, follow the link below.

NJ Base to suspend testing after accident

ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — The Army is suspending outdoor weapons testing at a northern New Jersey base after a wayward artillery shell fragment crashed through the roof of a home miles away, fatally injuring a pet cat, the base's commanding officer said Saturday.

For more information, follow the link below.

N.J. Court: Bar May Be Liable for Fatal Crash Even if It Didn't Serve Patron Alcohol

A tavern may be liable for negligence if it makes no effort to keep a visibly drunken patron safe, even though his drinking may have been done elsewhere, a New Jersey appeals court held Thursday in a case of first impression.

The ruling, in Bauer v. Nesbitt, A-2343-06, means that bar owners can be sued for failing to prevent a patron from getting into a car driven by another who was visibly intoxicated and who thereafter caused the passenger's death.

For more information, follow the link below.

Man Dies in Landscaping Accident in New Jersey

A 20-year-old Woodlyne, N.J., man died in a landscaping accident at the former home of the Vallee & Bowe car dealership Tuesday afternoon while landscaping crews cleared out a wooded portion of the lot.

The unidentified man was leaning into a small Bobcat backhoe in an attempt to talk to a co-worker when his head was struck by a moving portion of the construction vehicle.

"Some part of the loading mechanism of the vehicle crushed his head," said Bernie Weisenfeld, spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office. "This is believed to be an accidental death and will be investigated by the occupational health and safety administration."

For more information, follow the link below.

City employee charged over New York crane accident

NEW YORK (AFP) — A New York City employee has been charged with lying about an inspection he supposedly made of a construction crane that collapsed last weekend killing seven people, according to reports Thursday.

Buildings department inspector Edward Marquette had falsely indicated that he inspected the crane on March 4, the day after a report was made expressing concern over the crane's stability, the New York Times reported.

For more information, follow the link below.

Experts Reccomend Graduated Licensing for Teens

There are few things more anxiety-inducing for parents than watching their children learn to drive — and for good reason. Even the most mature teenager can take ill-advised risks, and inexperience behind the wheel can be deadly. Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for 15- to 19-year-olds.

For more information, follow the link below.

No Text Messages or Calls for NJ Drivers

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — For New Jersey drivers, the message is clear: Keep your thumbs on the wheel and off the keypad.

Beginning Saturday, police can slap drivers with a $100 fine for talking or sending a text message on hand-held devices.

New Jersey joins four other states, including neighboring New York, where talking on a hand-held cell phone is reason enough to get pulled over. The Garden State is the first where text-messaging on the road is a primary offense, meaning police need no other reason to pull a driver over, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

For more information, follow the link below.

New Jersey Truck Struck at Accident Scene

Oakland firefighters had trained for this: a major accident on Route 287 that would close the roadway and cause numerous injuries.

But a 48-vehicle accident in Wanaque on Friday night also claimed another casualty: a 1985 Mack fire engine struck by a tow truck on the slick roadway.

For more information, follow the link below.

N.J. motorcycle cops seriously injured in Orangetown crash

ORANGETOWN, N.Y. - At least two New Jersey motorcycle officers were seriously injured Thursday in an accident involving a box truck.

The officers were among a group of motorcycle police from various Bergen County police agencies who participated in a funeral escort, said Orangetown Police Detective Lt. John McAndrew.

New safety chief to oversee WTC construction

With several construction projects simultaneously taking shape at the World Trade Center site over the next few months, the property's owners have created a new post to oversee safety issues and prevent accidents.

Joseph Schwed of Honeywell International started as safety director of the World Trade Center site last week. Previously, the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York had separate safety managers for each construction project.

For more information, follow the link below.

$500,000 bail set in fatal Southampton crash

A Little Egg Harbor man was ordered held on $500,000 bail yesterday on charges he killed a Moorestown High School student in a December crash that a prosecutor called an "absolute tragedy."

Jesse J. Johns, 30, was driving a 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis on Route 38 in Southampton on Dec. 14 when it crossed the double yellow line to pass a truck and struck an oncoming car driven by Thomas McCue, a 2007 graduate of the high school, state police said.

For more information, follow the link below.

Train Strikes and Kills a Veteran N.J. Transit Welder

A longtime New Jersey Transit track welder was killed when he was hit by a train on Sunday morning near the Ridgewood station, a spokesman for the railroad said.

For more information, follow the link below.

Father, Son Charged With Lying About Fatal UNC Mascot Accident

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- A father and son have been charged with lying to police about a motor vehicle accident that killed a University of North Carolina student who was the mascot for the school's basketball team.

For more information, follow the link below.

Island trucker collides with car in N.J

A Staten Island man driving a fuel truck in New Jersey yesterday afternoon collided with a car which then pushed into a school bus, injuring the car's driver, police said.

There were no children aboard the bus.

Oleg Nagorny, 41, of Annadale, was driving a tractor trailer carrying 8,500 gallons of fuel oil south on Route 202 in Somerset County, Bridgewater Township, shortly after 3:30 p.m. when the light at Milltown Road turned from green to yellow, according to police.

For more information, follow the link below.

Deaths on N.J. roads dip to 20-year low

The number of people who died in traffic accidents on New Jersey's roadways dipped to its lowest level in a generation last year as the state recorded 718 fatalities, according to preliminary statistics released yesterday.

Twenty years ago, it was not unusual for New Jersey to record a thousand or more annual traffic deaths. But laws requiring motorists to wear seat belts, numerous technological improvements to vehicles and a crackdown on drunken driving have kept the annual fatalities under 800 in the last decade, with the total falling to 723 twice before.

For more information, follow the link below.

Firefighter wins compensation in off-duty rescue

A state workers' compensation judge ruled Thursday that a former Hamilton Township firefighter who rescued a man from a burning car in Egg Harbor Township while off-duty is entitled to receive benefits, his attorney said.

Keith Leuci - formerly of Hamilton Township and now living in Tennessee - was driving home with his family Aug. 20, 2004, when he saw a burning car stopped on the Black Horse Pike. Leuci told his wife to pull over, raced to the car, pried the door open and pulled James Barnes, then 26 and of Pleasantville, to safety. Barnes' cousin was killed in the accident.

For more information, follow the link below.

Two Fall Related Injuries in Two Days

A construction worker fell 25 to 30 feet from a scaffolding in Downtown Jersey City yesterday and was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center complaining of pain in his head, neck, back and left side of his chest, officials said.

Ruben Arabaca, 29, was working at Liberty Harbor Marina on Tidewater Street at the foot of Marin Boulevard near Liberty State Park yesterday around 10:20 a.m. when he fell from the third-story level when the scaffold tipped over, officials said.

For more information, follow the link below.

2007 Saw Terrifying Accident for Governor

This year, New Jerseyans prayed that Gov. Jon S. Corzine would recover after a car crash left him with near fatal injuries that were no doubt worsened by his reluctance to buckle up at speeds up to 91 mph.

Corzine's rocky year nearly turned tragic in April when his sport utility vehicle collided with a guard rail on the Garden State Parkway as his driver, a state trooper, was speeding at 91 mph en route to Drumthwacket, the governor's mansion in Princeton.

For more information, follow the link below.

Pickup Hits Minivan in NJ, Killing 4

EWING, N.J. (AP) — A pickup truck traveling in the wrong direction on Interstate 95 collided with a minivan Friday night, killing four people and injuring four others, New Jersey State Police said.

The accident occurred just before 8 p.m., said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a state police spokesman.

Feds: NJ Transit train crew to blame for fatal accident

BRADLEY BEACH, N.J. (AP) _ A train crew is to blame for a 2006 accident that killed a Neptune man, who was dragged as he got off an NJ Transit train at the Bradley Beach station, according to a federal report.

The report, by the Federal Railroad Administration, determined that John D'Agostino, 49, was pinned by his left shoulder and arm after a train car door closed on him around 2:15 a.m. last Nov. 21, the Asbury Park Press reported for Friday's newspapers.

For more information, follow the link below.

1 dead as train hits SUV in South Jersey

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. - One person is dead after a train struck a vehicle at a grade crossing in southern New Jersey.

Eighty-seven-year-old Edgar Forvour was killed at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday when his SUV was struck by an NJ Transit train at the Atco Avenue crossing in Waterford Township.

For more information, follow the link below.

Burlington County Crash Kills Teen

MOORESTOWN (CBS 3) ? Police believe alcohol was a factor in a Burlington County crash that killed one teen and injured two others Sunday.

Moorestown Police officers discovered an overturned vehicle off of Garwood Road in Moorestown at about 12:15 a.m.

Investigators said the car apparently traveled 100 feet off of the roadway before rolling onto its side and striking a tree. Three teens, who were all wearing their seatbelts, were found inside the vehicle.

For more information, follow the link below.

N.J. man gets 6 months in jail for DWI assault that severely injured cop in Rockland

NEW CITY - As Brian Rickli solemnly sat in court, the New Jersey man who mangled the police officer's body in a May drunken-driving crash was sentenced yesterday to six months in jail, fined $1,000 and ordered to perform community service.

Charles Lin, 29, apologized to Rickli and his family for running down Rickli's Kawasaki motorcycle from behind while driving his 2005 Nissan Altima on Route 59 in West Nyack on May 24.

For more information, follow the link below.

2 NJ Officers Bridge Death Suits Settled

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The families of two police officers who died when they drove off an open drawbridge have settled negligence lawsuits against the state for nearly $2.4 million, a lawyer and a state official said Tuesday.

Jersey City officers Shawn Carson, 40, and Robert Nguyen, 30, plummeted 45 feet from the state-operated bridge into the frigid Hackensack River on a foggy Christmas night in 2005.

Nguyen's estate received nearly $1.4 million under the settlement, while Carson's estate got $1 million.

For more information, follow the link below.

Worker comp rates rise for 7th straight year

The cost of workers' compensation insurance will rise by an average of 3.4 percent next year, marking the seventh consecutive year of rising rates for the state-mandated coverage, state Insurance Department officials have announced.

For more information, follow the link below.

Family mourns after couple killed in holiday motorcycle accident

MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. - The children and grandchildren were gathered, but grandparents Mark and Debora Shiplee never returned to their Franklinville home for Thanksgiving, killed in a collision with a motor vehicle while on a motorcycle ride.

The couple was killed Thursday morning after a 2007 BMW failed to stop at a stop sign and hit the front of the Shiplees' Harley-Davidson motorcycle as it crossed an intersection in Gloucester County's Monroe Township, police said.

For more information, follow the link below.

Car Hits Construction Workers in Millburn, 1 Killed

MILLBURN, N.J. (AP) -- Police on Wednesday were investigating a motor vehicle accident that claimed the life of a contractor doing routine maintenance work for Verizon.

For more information, follow the link below.

Let Us Help You

Brunnock & Fleming, P.C.
1776 On The Green
67 Park Place
5th Floor
Morristown, NJ 07960

Phone: (973) 898-3700
Fax: (973) 898-6766

Toll Free: (800) 378-6206

B&F Practice Areas

Blog

B&FLegal News

B&FLibrary

News

Let Us Help You

FAQs