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Claims

Insured’s Failure To Timely Notify His Auto Insurer Of An Automobile Accident Bars UM Claim Against Insurance Carrier

By on October 18, 2019 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 0 Comments

On January 4, 2014, plaintiff James Ryan DiMaria (“DiMaria”), a Patterson fire inspector, had an automobile accident with Michelle Rodriguez.  Plaintiff claimed that the accident caused him permanent neck and head injuries.  There was a dispute concerning whether Rodriguez was at fault for this accident.  The issue in DiMaria v. Travelers Insurance Group, 2019 N.J. […]

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Legislative Update on Haines v. Taft

By on May 30, 2019 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 0 Comments

I had previously reported on the Supreme Court case of Haines v. Taft, 237 N.J. 271 (2019) which made inadmissible uncompensated medical expenses incurred as a result of an automobile accident that exceeded the plaintiffs’ $15,000 PIP coverage. After I submitted this article, I discussed with plaintiffs’ counsel whether that decision was specifically limited to […]

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Supreme Court Rules that Plaintiffs Injured in Auto Accident are Barred from Recovering Medical Expenses Less Than $250,000 Statutory Amount Regardless of PIP Coverage Selected

By on March 29, 2019 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 1 Comment

In Haines v. Taft, 2019 N.J. LEXIS 441 (March 26, 2019), in a split decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court reversed the Appellate Division and found that plaintiffs, who elected a $15,000 PIP coverage, were barred from seeking to recover the amount of their outstanding medical expenses, incurred as a result of an automobile accident, […]

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Food Poisoning Claim Against Restaurant Dismissed Due to Lack of Proof

By on February 22, 2019 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 0 Comments

Plaintiff Kathleen Nicholson and John Nicholson sued the Outback Steakhouse (“Outback”) after Kathleen became ill after eating at the Outback. She claimed that her dinner at the Outback was the source of the Salmonella bacteria that caused her illness. In Nicholson v. Bloomin Brands, Inc., 2018 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1817 (App. Div. July 30, […]

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Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Claim Arising from Auto Accident Barred Due to His Inability to Establish a Permanent Injury as Required by Verbal Threshold Law

By on February 15, 2019 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 0 Comments

Plaintiff Hector Reyes claimed to have suffered personal injuries as a result of an automobile accident with defendant John Stanley. Plaintiff’s automobile insurance policy contained the limitation on lawsuit option (i.e., “verbal threshold”) which limited his ability to sue for noneconomic damages (i.e., his pain and suffering) under the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act, specifically […]

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Expert Needed to Prove Amount of Property Damage for Fire Loss

By on August 31, 2018 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 0 Comments

Plaintiff V&C Liquors, Inc. made a claim against PSE&G for fire damage to its Newark liquor store. At trial, PSE&G was found 100% liable by the jury and V&C was awarded $200,000 for property damage and $14,700 for lost rent. The trial court judge had permitted V&C’s principal to testify to the amount of the […]

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Homeowner Limited to Cash Value of House in Fire Loss Claim

By on February 9, 2018 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 0 Comments

Plaintiff Dawn Dunkerly made a claim against her homeowner’s insurance company, Encompass Insurance Company, for the fire loss of her parents’ home. A fire swept through the house and completely destroyed it. As executor of her parents’ estate, plaintiff submitted a claim to defendant Encompass under her parents’ homeowners policy to be compensated for the […]

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Plaintiff Limited on Admissibility of Medical Bills to Amounts Paid by Medicare

By on October 7, 2016 in Claims, NJ Litigation with 0 Comments

Plaintiffs always want to present to a jury the full amount of medical bills incurred in an accident with the hope that it will increase the amount of their pain and suffering award. Based upon the collateral source rule, N.J.S.A. 2A:15-97, medical bills paid by insurance may be introduced into evidence but then must be […]

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