Injuries

Legislation to Provide Better Compensate to Victims of Serious Traffic Accidents Proposed

October 27, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

While the rest of the country was experiencing a decline in fatal traffic accidents last year, New Jersey’s death toll reached the highest it had been in 30 years. Fortunately, this year to date, has seen a 14% decrease in that number. Still, traffic fatalities and serious injuries remain a major concern in the state.

In an effort to help accident victims and their families recover, lawmakers earlier this year introduced legislation in both the state senate and state assembly to provide victims with better compensation, as well as improve accountability and transparency in these cases. To learn more, read “Those hurt in N.J. car crashes …”

Are Stronger Safety Regulations Needed for E-Bike Riders?

September 26, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

There’s been an alarming increase in the number of accidents involving e-bikes in recent months, causing some in New Jersey to call for stronger regulations to help protect both riders and pedestrians from injury.

Essentially e-bikes are bicycles with motors, making them more powerful than ordinary bikes but less than motorcycles. These vehicles are often operated by children as young as 11 or 12 with little to no knowledge of the rules of the road. Concerns over this lack of knowledge and experience have some people pushing for more safety controls over the use of these vehicles. To learn more and see if you agree stronger regulations are warranted, read “Push for new regulations as e-bike accidents involving children on the rise.”

Electronic Vehicle Accidents Raise Legal Dilemmas

June 18, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Electric vehicles, or EVs, may have some environmental benefits, but they also have their own unique risks and challenges for motorists, first responders and the legal profession.

One of the biggest risks is fire resulting from an accident. The lithium batteries that power electric vehicles will cause these vehicles to burn hotter and longer than their gas-powered counterparts. Extinguishing EV fires and extricating victims takes special techniques and training, putting not only drivers and passengers at greater risks, but also the first responders themselves. Not all fires happen immediately after the accident. There have been increasing reports of accident-related fires flaring up hours or even days later when the car could be at the repair shop or wherever it had been towed.

Who is responsible for injuries or property damages resulting from an accident-related EV fire? That’s one of several questions accident lawyers are now grappling with. The learn more read, “Electric Vehicles Fires and Accidents: The New Risks on New York Streets.”

Keeping Prescription Medications Out of the Wrong Hands

April 16, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

The drug overdose epidemic in the U.S. has been recognized as a threat to our public health and safety. To help combat this threat, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has sponsored a Drug Take Back Day each spring and fall for the past 16 years. This spring, the event will be held on Saturday, April 26.

When prescription medications fall into the wrong hands, it can lead to serious and sometimes fatal injuries. It has been found that often the people who misuse or abuse prescription drugs get them from the medicine cabinets of family or friends. By properly disposing of unused or expired medications, both prescription and over the counter, we can each do our small part in helping to reduce these accidental overdoses. To learn more about how and where to dispose of medications you no longer need, visit the DEA’s Take Back Day page for details about this month’s event.

Tips for Keeping Kids Safe on the Water

March 19, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

If sailing is one of your family’s favorite activities, you’re probably starting to think about getting your boat out of dry dock and into the water. As captain of your boat, it’s your responsibility to avoid boating accidents and make sure everyone on board is familiar with boating safety rules and etiquette, especially the children.

Children who run on board or lean over the deck can quickly turn an enjoyable activity into a tragic event. For tips on keeping your young passengers safe and injury-free, and avoiding possible legal actions, read “Boating Safety – Kids On Board.”

Is Your Electric Range a Fire Hazard?

February 12, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

The Consumer Products Safety Commission recently announced the recall of about half a million electric ranges due to a potential fire hazard. The recall includes both freestanding and slide-in models of LG electric ranges featuring front-mounted knobs that can be unintentionally turned on by people and pets.

According to reports, there have been more than 80 reports to date of unintentional activation involving these stoves, resulting in about 28 fires that led to hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damages, minor injuries to individuals, and the death of several family pets. To learn if this recall affects your electric range and what to do if it does, read “Pets Killed, Homes Damaged: 500K Electric Stoves Recalled Over This Fire Risk.”

Will New Law Put an End to Traffic Fatalities in the State?

January 15, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Addressing a significant increase in traffic-related fatalities in the State, Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed a bill into law creating a new commission to study ways to eliminate deaths and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents by the year 2040.

New Jersey State Police reported that nearly 700 individuals died on New Jersey roadways last year. Between 2023 and 2024, road fatalities in the State rose by 14%, with pedestrian fatalities increasing by 32%. This latest law tasks the newly-created, multi-departmental Target Zero Commission with identifying strategies to reverse this trend. To learn more, read “Following 692 Deaths, NJ Law Creates Ambitious Road Safety Goal.”

Take Steps to Ensure Your Family Is Home for the Holidays and Not in the ER

December 18, 2024 | Kearns Rotolo Law

The holiday season is a festive occasion for both young and old. It is also a season fraught with hidden dangers. Everything from the decorations to the toys to the food holds the potential for causing injury unless care is taken.

Some of the more common injuries include falls from ladders while decorating, food poisoning or allergic reactions to ingredients, ingestion of small items or button batteries by children playing with the toys they received and burns from fires caused by cooking or decorations. Each year, these and other holiday-related injuries send tens of thousands of people to emergency rooms. For tips to help ensure you and your family enjoy the holiday from the safety of your home, read “8 Surprising Ways People Get Hurt During the Holiday.”

Ignoring the Fine Print May Cost You

October 16, 2024 | Kearns Rotolo Law

It seems every time you open a website or engage in an online transaction these days you are presented with a lengthy Terms and Conditions document, which you’re expected to read before proceeding. Many of us are guilty of simply clicking “Agree” and moving on. But have you ever wondered what rights you may be signing away by doing this? A New Jersey couple recently learned the answer to this the hard way.

The couple had been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident when the Uber they were riding in ran a red light. A New Jersey high court recently denied their right to sue the ride-share company for their injuries. Why? Because a couple of months prior to the accident the couple’s minor daughter used her mother’s phone to order a pizza through Uber Eats. While using the app, she checked a box agreeing to waive trial rights. To learn why it’s important to read the fine print before agreeing to terms, read “Couple can’t sue Uber after daughter clicked away trial rights on Uber Eats.”

What Happens When Personal Injury Cases Involve Minors

September 18, 2024 | Kearns Rotolo Law

If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, you could have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. Personal injury cases seek to recover financial compensation for damages relating to your injury, including lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering you have endured. What happens, though, if either the injured person or the person responsible for the injury is a minor?

Generally speaking, minors do not have the legal capacity to either sue or be sued, but that doesn’t mean their involvement in a personal injury case – either as the injured party or the party who caused the injury – is ignored. Personal injury cases involving minors require unique legal considerations. To learn more read, “Can you sue a minor for a personal injury?”