Morristown, New Jersey Personal Injury Law Blog

Motor vehicle accidents: Bus overturns in New Jersey

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, August 16, 2018.

Rainy weather is being considered a potential contributing factor to a serious crash that saw a passenger bus overturn, according to local sources. The bus reportedly crashed on the New Jersey Turnpike, sending over a dozen people to local hospitals. As with most motor vehicle accidents, this one is still being investigated by authorities, and so far, the driver of the bus is not facing criminal charges.

According to the accident report, the bus was returning from a picnic late on the afternoon of Aug. 11 when the accident occurred. Around 5:25 p.m., the bus was headed northbound on the New Jersey Turnpike when the bus somehow overturned onto its side, coming to rest straddling the barrier between the truck and car lanes in the northbound lanes. The bus was carrying multiple families, totalling 42 people. Of those, 36 were taken to local hospitals, including 19 adults and 17 children under the age of 18.

10 FAQ’s about the open container law

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. on Saturday, August 11, 2018.

Think twice before you or passengers in your vehicle re-cork that bottle of wine for the road — or you may face an open container violation.

Read on to learn more about frequently asked questions concerning New Jersey’s open container law.

Drunk New Jersey driver causes dangerous domino effect

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. on Thursday, August 9, 2018.

The amount of damage a drunk driver can do to a person or vehicle is unpredictable. No matter what vehicle they drive, they pose a major threat to the thousands of New Jersey citizens sharing the highways with them. If there is a crash in the middle of a busy highway, the other drivers have to react quickly to avoid any other accidents on the scene.

Unfortunately, some accidents are so severe that a chain reaction of crashes is nearly unavoidable. This was demonstrated on the night of August 3 when a drunk water truck tank driver overturned their vehicle and caused another accident to occur behind him.

Motor vehicle accidents: 2 dead in New Jersey

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, August 2, 2018.

A serious crash in Berlin caused the death of two people and injured two others, according to officers in the area. New Jersey authorities responded to the accident, which took place on White Horse Pike. As with many motor vehicle accidents, the identities of the deceased and injured parties are not being released pending notification of next of kin.

According to the limited information that has been released so far, the accident happened near Ellis Avenue around 5 p.m. the evening of July 22. The crash involved two vehicles: an SUV and a passenger sedan. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined, but from photos of the scene, it appears the SUV may have entered the oncoming lane and T-boned the passenger car.

Motor vehicle accidents: 1 killed, 1 hurt in New Jersey

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

A woman is dead and her boyfriend has been badly hurt after a multiple-vehicle accident in Camden County, according to authorities. The crash took place on Route 42 around 12:50 p.m. the afternoon of July 11. As with most serious motor vehicle accidents, this case is still under investigation, and New Jersey police say they have not yet filed any charges in connection with the accident.

According to the report, a 26-year-old man was headed southbound near Exit 55 on Route 42 in a sedan with his 24-year-old female passenger, the driver's girlfriend. Their vehicle struck the driver's side of another car before rear-ending a tractor-trailer. The force of the impact lodged their car underneath the larger vehicle. The force of the impact killed the female passenger, who was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Motor vehicle accidents: New Jersey man killed

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, July 5, 2018.

A well-liked store owner is tragically dead following a wrong-way car crash on Route 80, according to local authorities. The New Jersey man was pronounced dead after the accident, and the other driver is in the hospital with serious injuries. As with most motor vehicle accidents of this severity, this case is still under investigation by law enforcement authorities.

Very little information is available pertaining to the specifics of the crash, but it has been confirmed that the 29-year-old victim was driving his SUV eastbound on Route 80 around 4:40 a.m. the morning of June 24 when the accident occurred. The driver of the other vehicle was a 63-year-old man also driving an SUV. The two vehicles collided because one of the drivers was traveling the wrong way.

What to expect from a personal injury claim

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.

An accident takes only a moment, but the aftermath lasts much longer. You could slip and fall on an uneven sidewalk, get hurt by a defective product or find yourself injured due to a negligent driver. A dog might bite you, or you may get injured due to an unsafe work environment. If you find yourself in any of these situations, you have the right to seek compensation. New Jersey law requires you bring a case as soon as possible, so you will want to act immediately after the accident. Being proactive helps to recover full damages for your pain and suffering.

Common personal injury cases

Motor vehicle accidents: Pedestrian dead in New Jersey

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, June 21, 2018.

A tragic accident claimed the life of a senior citizen in Roselle Park on the afternoon of June 12. New Jersey police have confirmed that a 78-year-old woman was struck and killed by a pickup truck. The driver involved in the accident is cooperating with police at this time, but as with many fatal motor vehicle accidents, this case is still under investigation by local authorities.

According to the accident report, the woman was walking in the borough of Roselle Park around 1:39 p.m. when she was struck by a pickup truck driven by an individual who has not been publicly identified by police at this time. Officers responding to the emergency call found the woman unconscious on the ground. First responders, including paramedics and EMS, performed lifesaving techniques on the woman in order to stabilize her. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Motor vehicle accidents: Woman killed in New Jersey crash

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, June 7, 2018.

A two-car accident in Long Valley has resulted in a fatality, according to local law enforcement. New Jersey police in Washington Township responded to the accident that sent another individual to a local hospital with injuries. As with most motor vehicle accidents, this one is still under investigation, though it does not appear that charges will be filed against the surviving driver.

According to the accident report, around 9:30 a.m. the morning of May 31, a 51-year-old woman traveling on Schooley's Mountain Road crossed the center line for reasons that have not yet been determined. As a result, she struck a vehicle being driven the other direction by a 36-year-old man from Newark. The force of the impact trapped the woman in her vehicle, where she needed to be extricated by first responders on the scene.

Motor vehicle accidents: 2 dead in New Jersey crash

On behalf of The Law Offices of Smith & Doran, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

A bus driver with a history of suspended licenses is believed to be responsible for the crash of a school bus in Mt. Olive, according to local sources. The records of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission show the 77-year-old driver had his license suspended some 14 times over the course of his career, including for five motor vehicle accidents. It is not clear whether he will face charges for this most recent crash.

According to the accident record, around 10:20 a.m. the morning of May 17, the driver was transporting 44 teachers and students from a local middle school to a field trip in the northwestern part of the state. Police believe he may have attempted to make an illegal U-turn on Interstate 80, which resulted in his bus colliding with a dump truck before overturning on the median. Photos of the accident show the bus completely separated from its chassis.

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