Motor Vehicle Accidents

Are New Jersey’s Hit-and-Run Penalties Too Lenient?

July 18, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Hit-and-runs are a growing concern across the country and New Jersey is no exception. Now, State lawmakers are considering changes to help curb this trend.

Drivers who flee a crash scene despite State laws requiring them to stay and report any accident involving injuries, fatalities or property damage valued at more than $500, face the possibility of being charged with a third-degree crime (for accidents resulting in physical injuries) or a second-degree crime (for accidents resulting in fatalities).

Because leaving the scene prolongs the investigation into that accident and, more importantly, can delay getting aid and other assistance to the victims, some say existing laws don’t provide enough of a deterrent. To learn what NJ lawmakers are currently considering read, “New Jersey’s Push for Stricter Hit-and-Run Penalties. . .”

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.”

New Registry Helps to Quickly Notify Emergency Contacts of Accident Victims

May 21, 2025 | Kearns Rotolo Law

New Jersey recently established the Next-of-Kin Registry, a web-based system intended to make it easier to quickly notify emergency contacts of motor vehicle accident victims who have been left unable to communicate as a result of their accident. The creation of the new registry stems from “Sara’s Law,” named after the victim of a fatal 2007 traffic accident. Although that accident occurred only a few miles from the 19-year-old victim’s home, her parents were not notified for two hours. By the time they arrived at the hospital, their daughter had already lapsed into a coma from which she never recovered.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission will manage the registry, which is available to residents beginning at the age of 14. To learn more about the registry and how to participate read, “Next-of-Kin Registry.”

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.”

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.”

Road Safety Tips for Cyclists

August 21, 2024 | Kearns Rotolo Law

This is the time of year, with summer winding down to an end, we see an increase in traffic caused by people returning from vacation and heading back to work and school. At the same time, because the weather is still nice, we also see people continuing to enjoy their daily walks and bike rides. All of this leads to an increased risk of accidents.

In 2023, accidents involving cars vs. bikes resulted in 24 cyclist fatalities in New Jersey. For tips on what you as a cyclist can do to share the road safely with motor vehicles, read “How to Ride a Bike in Traffic.”

Can Technology Help Win the Fight Against Drunk Driving?

June 12, 2024 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Despite all the driver education programs, the Drive Sober campaigns, and the strict penalties, drunk driving is still one of the leading causes of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. In fact, in 2023 DUI-related traffic accidents resulted in more than 13,000 fatalities, or 35% of all traffic-related deaths that year.

In another effort to crack down on this risky behavior, Congress passed an act last November that, in part, directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to draft new safety standards that would require future passenger vehicles be equipped with technology to detect alcohol levels and prevent drivers exceeding legal limits from starting their vehicle. The NHTSA has until this coming November to submit a final ruling, or reasons why it couldn’t, and is currently seeking input. To learn more, read “Will cars in the future be equipped with devices to prevent drunk driving? …”

Pedestrians Beware: NJ Roads Found To Be Most Dangerous

February 15, 2024 | Kearns Rotolo Law

According to a recent study, pedestrian fatalities in this country have increased more than 50% since 2012. What’s more, the study found that New Jersey’s roads are the most dangerous for pedestrians, with pedestrian deaths accounting for 30.3% of all traffic accident fatalities in the State, compared with a national rate of 17.3%.

What’s behind this national increase in pedestrian deaths? According to the study, it’s a combination of factors including more people choosing walking over driving and more distractions, particularly cell phones, taking people’s attention away from their surroundings. But there are things both drivers and pedestrians can do to increase the safety of our roads. For some tips, read “New Jersey has the most dangerous roads for pedestrians.”

Practice Makes … Safer Drivers

January 15, 2024 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Everyone is familiar with the saying practice makes perfect; New Jersey officials are hoping it also makes for safer young drivers.

According to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, drivers between 16 and 19 are about three times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident. Some of that increased risk can be attributed to inexperience. Hoping to improve those statistics, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this month signed a law requiring supervised practice driving hours for drivers younger than 21 as a stipulation for obtaining their driver’s license. It is yet to be seen, however, how completion of those practice hours will be certified.

To learn more about this new law, which is expected to go into effect sometime in 2025, read “NJ Mandates 50 Practice Driving Hours for Teens – How Can You Prove It?”

Are Automatic Features Making Drivers Too Complacent?

December 15, 2023 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Each year auto manufacturers install more and more automatic features designed to make their vehicles safer for drivers and passengers alike. These features include sensors that automatically turn on headlights, dim high beams, even apply the brakes when an obstacle is detected, all so that drivers have less to think about. And therein may lie the problem.

It was announced this month that Tesla, the automaker known for its electric vehicles, has agreed to recall almost 2 million of its vehicles sold in the U.S. This recall follows a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a number of accidents that have occurred while the vehicles’ Autopilot feature was engaged. Unlike the name implies, the Autopilot system does not replace the need for a human driver. In fact, the system contains features designed to ensure drivers continue to pay attention to both their vehicles and road conditions when in motion. In question, however, is whether these features are enough to ensure drivers don’t become complacent behind the wheel. To learn more, read “Tesla Recalls Nearly All Vehicles Sold In US.”