Our civil justice system wasn't intended to offer financial incentives for irresponsible behavior - especially when it's restaurateurs and consumers who are being forced to subsidize the court's interpretation of the law.
The case stems from a 2006 incident in which an Ocean County man crashed his motorcycle into a car and injured himself. He pled guilty to a DWI charge but later filed a lawsuit against Tiffany's Restaurant in Toms River, where he had consumed alcohol, for the injuries he sustained while driving drunk.
"The Court today has once again defied the will of the legislature to the detriment of business and common sense in New Jersey. The legislature sought, in plain language, to bar suits against bars and restaurants by intoxicated patrons under the motor vehicle laws of this state. Today drunk drivers can minimize personal responsibility for their actions and sue the restaurateurs of New Jersey for serving them drinks.
The case stems from a 2006 incident in which Fredrick Voss crashed his motorcycle into a car and injured himself. His blood alcohol level was nearly two-and-a-half times the legal limit. He pled guilty to a DWI charge but later filed suit against Tiffany's Restaurant in Toms River under the Dram Shop Act.
In New Jersey, the arrival of spring doesn't just mean warmer weather and the smell of fresh flowers, it's also the time of year when our state's 566 municipalities draw up their budgets. And most of us, busy with daily life, fail to take note of our own council's agenda - until we see the increase on our next property tax bill.
"New Jersey worked hard to establish itself as the nation's 'Medicine Chest,' and our medicine chest is now ailing from abusive litigation. The report underscores our need for reform to New Jersey's civil justice laws before the cost of inaction becomes too great for us to bear and we become known as the nation's "personal injury state" instead.
Citing the diversity of her experiences and temperament during questioning, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Anne Patterson's nomination to the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) introduced a companion bill to [...]
Continuing its quest to promote economic growth in New Jersey, the New Jersey Lawsuit Reform Alliance (NJLRA) has joined Innovation New Jersey, a coalition of the state's leading business and higher education organizations.
Innovation New Jersey seeks to foster the life sciences and biotechnology industries in New Jersey by uniting the state's business and higher education communities. NJLRA is optimistic that enacting meaningful lawsuit reform measures will encourage an innovation-based economy by making it safe for responsible pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to operate here in New Jersey.
"Statistics show that New Jersey's pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are a leading source of jobs and economic stability in New Jersey," said Marcus Rayner, executive director of NJLRA. "By protecting these companies from frivolous litigation, we are allowing them to invest more of their resources into doing what they do best: creating jobs and saving lives."
