In a settlement agreement reached earlier this year, a construction worker injured on the job by a falling cinderblock wall has received an award of $2.75 million for his extensive injuries. Dashi Slatina, who was 29 at the time of the accident, was working on a high rise condominium tower in Jersey City as a mason. Slatina had built an eight-foot cement wall intended to separate the residence from an adjoining parking area. Slatina had bent over to clean up excess cement when a strong gust of wind caused the cinderblock and cement wall to collapse, landing on top of Slatina. The worker’s hip was fractured and dislocated in the incident, his right wrist was fractured, and the meniscus in his left knee was torn. As a result of his injuries, he was ultimately forced to have a full hip replacement and required surgery on his knee. In addition to his physical injuries, Slatina alleged that his injuries caused him emotional distress. He has been unable to return to work since the accident, which occurred in 2007. 

For years, car manufacturers have been installing Event Data Recorders (EDRs) in passenger vehicles. These devices are akin to pared-down versions of the infamous “black box” contained in the cockpit of every commercial airplane. The average individual may not realize this data is being recorded or how it is used by manufacturers, or even more importantly how it can be used to support your product liability lawsuit against a manufacturer or a lawsuit against another driver if you get hurt in a crash. 

In contrast to the dip seen in recent years, the first half of 2015 has seen a stark rise in the number of serious injuries and fatalities on American roads. Every six months, the nonprofit National Safety Council releases statistics on the rates of injuries and deaths occurring as a result of motor vehicle accidents. For the first time in two years, the rates of fatal and serious injuries have increased rather than decreased, and total auto accident fatalities are on track to make 2015 the deadliest year on US roads since 2007. 

Maybe you’re on your way to work in the morning, or finishing up a long grocery shopping trip, when you walk out to your car, thinking about where you’re heading next, only to find it seriously banged-up. After letting off a bit of steam with some colorful phrases, what do you do next? Below are some guidelines on what to do when your car is damaged by a hit-and-run driver. 

In advance of the Labor Day holiday, local police in Morris County have begun to mount DUI checkpoints in various locations. The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign is being held in concert with a national effort to stem drunk driving. The campaign runs from August 21 through the Labor Day holiday weekend. DUI checkpoints will be found throughout the county, including in Mendham, Chester, and Rockaway townships. Police will also be deploying roving units tasked with finding intoxicated drivers, and people can report to the police on what they believe to be drunk drivers by dialing #77.