Blog | Law Offices of David J. Karbasian, PC

Construction Site Injuries in New Jersey Winters

February 16, 2021 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Common Injuries Suffered in Cold Weather

Though many construction jobs are seasonal, a large number of construction workers in New Jersey work all through the winter, often with protective gear and space heaters. Those workers face increased risk of injury in snowy and icy conditions. Among the most common winter construction site injuries are:

Slip-and-falls, including falls from heights—Falls are the most common type of construction site accident year-round. When you add snow and ice into the equation, the risk goes up dramatically, putting workers at significant risk of broken bones, concussion and other traumatic brain injury, and back or spinal cord trauma. The risk can be reduced by ensuring that there are proper safety barriers at elevated construction levels, that workers wear boots with good rubber treads, and that workers slow the pace of movement to account for slippery conditions.
Cold stress—According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), exposure to too much cold weather can be fatal, with the average annual number of cold-related deaths exceeding 1,300. Non-fatal conditions that can result from working in sub-freezing weather include trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia. Hypothermia, the result of your body temperature going below 95 degrees, is the most dangerous, causing reduced blood flow and breathing, unconsciousness, and even death. Frostbite can lead to the loss of fingers, toes, ear lobes, and even your nose. Trench foot, caused when your feet stay wet and cold for long periods of time, can lead to blisters and loss of skin/tissue on your feet.
Injuries caused by accumulated snow or ice—The accumulation of snow and ice can alsopose serious risks. The weight of snow can bring down power lines, putting workers at risk of exposure to live current. Snow also can accumulate on a roof and then fall off and crush workers below.

Contact the Law Offices of David J. Karbasian, PC

Send us an e-mail today or call us at 856-667-4666 to schedule an appointment. We are currently communicating with clients by phone, text message, or videoconference. Evening and weekend consultations are available upon request.

Filed Under: Construction Site Accidents Tagged With: Common Winter Construction Site Injuries

Slip-and-Falls in New Jersey Winters

February 4, 2021 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

The Duties of Property Owners to Respond to Snow and Ice

With record snowfalls reported in some parts of New Jersey this week, conditions have been treacherous for motorists and pedestrians. Even a small accumulation of snow, if not cleared in a timely manner, can pose a risk of injury, quickly turning to ice as temperatures rise or people pack it down.

If you’re injured in a slip-and-fall on accumulated snow or ice on someone else’s property, you may have questions about your right to recover for your losses. Let’s look at the duties of New Jersey residential and commercial property owners with respect to dangers presented by snowy and icy conditions

New Jersey Premises Liability Law

In New Jersey, as in other states, property owners have a duty to take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of anyone legally on the property; however, that duty is not absolute. A property owner need not guarantee the safety of visitors. The law requires only that an owner takes reasonable steps to protect people who come on the property. Such reasonable steps might involve removing the conditions that pose the risk of injury, or it may involve either reasonably warning visitors of potential dangers or preventing visitors from obtaining access to those areas that pose the risk of injury.

The Duties of Property Owners in New Jersey Related to Snow and Ice

The duties of a property owner differ in New Jersey based on whether the property is primarily commercial or residential. Commercial property owners have a higher duty than residential property holders. Owners of commercial property must take reasonable action to remedy the situation—either remove the snow or put down salt or sand to minimize the risk that someone will slip on icy pavement or steps.

In contrast, a residential property owner need not remove the snow and ice. If the residential property owner does attempt to clear sidewalks or other walkways, however, he must not make the condition more dangerous by doing so, or he will incur liability.

Contact the Law Offices of David J. Karbasian, PC

Send us an e-mail today or call us at 856-667-4666 to schedule an appointment. We are currently communicating with clients by phone, text message, and videoconference. Evening and weekend consultations are available upon request.

Filed Under: Slip and Fall Injuries Tagged With: Property Owners’ Duties Regarding Snow and Ice

No-Contact Motorcycle Accidents in New Jersey

January 23, 2021 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Can You Pursue Compensation If There Was No Collision?

While a motorcycle brings a great feeling of freedom on the road—one of its major appeals—it’s also easier to have a no-contact accident on a motorcycle, often with serious consequences. These types of crashes stem from a variety of factors:

another motorist cuts into your lane, forcing you down or off the road;
another motorist suddenly brushes up next to you or fails to obey a traffic sign or signal, forcing evasive action that causes you to lose control;
water, loose gravel, uneven lanes or potholes cause you to skid or lose traction; or
your bike breaks down, leading to a fall.

In these situations, you may suffer serious and catastrophic injury but without impacting or colliding with another vehicle. Can you seek compensation from another party, even though no one hit you? Fortunately, the answer is yes.

Recovering for Your Losses Based on a Claim of Negligence

In a motorcycle-accident-injury claim, as with most other personal injury claims, your right to recover for your losses is almost always based on a legal theory of negligence. To prove negligence in court, you must demonstrate that:

the defendant (the accused wrongdoer) failed to act as a reasonable person would;
the failure to act reasonably caused an accident; and
you suffered actual losses because of the accident.

The law does not identify specific acts considered unreasonable. Instead, that determination is left for the jury to decide based on the specific facts of the case.

To establish cause, you must show two things:

that the accident would not have occurred without the defendant’s wrongful conduct; and
that the accident and injuries suffered were “reasonably foreseeable” consequences of defendant’s failure to act reasonably.

Under the law, you may seek damages for injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, even though there was no contact or impact. The jury will carefully consider defendant’s actions, determining whether they were reasonable and whether they caused you to lose control or otherwise crash.

Contact the Law Offices of David J. Karbasian, PC

Send us an e-mail today or call us at 856-667-4666 to schedule an appointment. We are currently communicating with clients by phone, text message or videoconference. Evening and weekend consultations are available upon request.

Filed Under: Motorcycle Accidents Tagged With: No-Contact Crashes

Filing a Personal Injury Claim for a Workplace Injury

January 6, 2021 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Can You Get Civil Damages in Addition to Workers’ Comp?

Under New Jersey law, most employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover their employees. There are only two exceptions—where the employer is covered by a federal program or has been approved to be self-insured (in which case the employer pays benefits directly to the injured worker).

Because of the prevalence of the workers’ compensation system, there’s a misperception that, when you’re hurt on the job, your only recourse to recover lost wages, medical expenses, and other losses is through a workers’ comp claim. In limited circumstances, however, you might be able to file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court seeking damages for an injury sustained on the job. Here’s how it works.

Workers’ Compensation Claims in New Jersey

New Jersey workers’ compensation law was enacted to streamline the claims process for injured workers and help employers more effectively manage the financial consequences of workplace injuries. Workers can start receiving benefits within weeks, and employers don’t have to worry about sympathetic juries returning inflated damage awards.

Workers’ compensation law, however, only covers injuries caused by the carelessness or negligence of an employer or coworker. In those instances, workers’ comp provides the only source for reimbursement of losses.

Third-Party Claims in Workplace Accidents

When a workplace accident is caused, in whole or in part, by the wrongful actions of someone other than your employer or a fellow employee, you are not limited to the benefits provided by a workers’ compensation claim. Instead, you can file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court. In fact, you can file a personal injury claim and a workers’ compensation claim at the same time, though you can’t recover for the same losses in both proceedings. For example, if your medical expenses are paid by workers’ comp, you can’t recover them again in a personal injury lawsuit.

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Filed Under: Workplace Injuries Tagged With: Filing a Personal Injury Claim

Remedies Other Than Workers’ Compensation

December 27, 2020 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Third-Party Claims After a Work-Related Injury

In New Jersey, when you’re hurt or contract an illness on the job, you have a right to seek workers’ compensation benefits. The benefits available through a workers’ comp claim cover reasonable and necessary medical expenses, and can serve to replace lost income. You may, however, have other losses not covered by workers’ compensation. Can you seek compensation for uncovered expenses in other legal proceedings?

Third-Party Claims for Injuries at Work

The workers’ compensation laws are designed to provide a streamlined claims process when losses ae caused by the carelessness or negligence of an employer or co-worker. If, however, your injuries are also caused in part by the wrongful acts of a third party (unrelated to your employer), you may seek damages in a civil suit filed in court. In fact, you can simultaneously file a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit. You may not, however, recover twice for the same losses. For example, if medical expenses are paid through your workers’ comp claim, you can’t recover for those same medical costs in a personal injury lawsuit.

There are a number of situations where you may have a valid third-party claim:

Motor vehicle accidents that occur during the course of employment—You can seek damages in court from at-fault drivers, provided they are not co-workers or your employer.
Injuries caused by a defectively designed or manufactured product—You can sue the company or individuals who designed or built the product.
Injuries caused by workers on an adjoining jobsite—This applies most often to situations involving construction-site-injury claims.

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Filed Under: Workplace Injuries Tagged With: Workers’ Compensation as an Exclusive Remedy

Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year

December 24, 2020 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Slip-and-Falls in Snowy or Icy New Jersey Weather

December 21, 2020 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Your Rights to Compensation | The Duties of Property Owners

Winter in New Jersey means snow and ice covering sidewalks, steps, parking lots, driveways and other thoroughfares, making pedestrian travel treacherous. What are the duties of New Jersey property owners with respect to the removal of snow and ice? Can you recover compensation when a commercial or residential property owner fails to reasonably remedy snowy or icy conditions?

Premises Liability in New Jersey

As a general rule, a residential or commercial property owner has a duty to take reasonable steps to monitor real property conditions to minimize the risk of personal injury by persons legally on the premises. Though snow and ice are naturally occurring, and can come with little notice, a property owner may still have a legal obligation to take steps to protect visitors.

In New Jersey, where snow and ice are common, it’s reasonable for property owners to expect such weather and be prepared to respond, either by removing the snow and ice or limiting access to sidewalks, steps, or other locations where visitors might slip and fall. But a property owner is not automatically liable if someone slips and falls on snow or ice. A property owner typically is liable only if his or her response was unreasonable.

The standard of care varies in New Jersey, based on who owns the premises:

Residential property owners have responsibility if they invite someone to their home but fail to take reasonable measures to address potential risks posed by an accumulation of snow and/or ice.
Business owners have a higher duty. Because a business can reasonably expect their premises to be used by consumers, they must either clear snow and ice or post a warning of the potential danger.

Contact an Experienced Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Slip-and-Fall Lawyer

Filed Under: Slip and Fall Injuries in New Jersey Tagged With: Snowy or Icy Conditions

Was Your Injury Work-Related, Part II

December 17, 2020 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Business Travel

As we set forth in the first blog in this series, there are only two requirements to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits in New Jersey. First, you must have been hurt or become ill, and second, the injury or illness must have occurred while you were on the job or been caused by events that occurred while you were performing work-related tasks. In many instances, it’s obvious whether your injuries were work-related, but there are some circumstances where it may not be as clear.

Injuries Sustained While Traveling for Business

If your job requires you to travel, whether periodically or on a daily basis, situations can arise where you may or may not qualify. As a general rule, if you are injured while traveling for work, you’re eligible for workers’ comp benefits. For example, if you’re driving to a client’s office for a meeting, or headed to the post office to mail work-related items, you’re entitled to benefits for any injuries sustained. You generally can’t get workers’ compensation for injuries suffered during your commute or while taking lunch off the premises. However, if you pick up food for others at the request of a supervisor, or engage in work-related tasks while on the road (for example, delivering a package or buying office supplies), any injuries sustained while engaged in those work-related activities are covered.

If you attend conferences, workshops, seminars or conventions for work, the following rules generally apply:

Injuries sustained on your way to and from the conference, or while traveling to and from conference events while there, are covered.
Injuries suffered in essential activities while at a conference—going out for dinner, attending sessions, etc.—are covered.
Injuries suffered while engaging in wholly personal activities—going to a health club, visiting Disneyland or other tourist attractions—are not covered.

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Filed Under: Workplace Injuries Tagged With: Determining if an Injury Was Work-Related

Happy Thanksgiving

November 25, 2020 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Qualifying for Workers’ Compensation Benefits

November 24, 2020 by David J. Karbasian, PC.

Was Your Injury Work-Related?

In New Jersey, when you suffer an injury or contract an illness at work, you have a right to workers’ compensation benefits, provided you can prove that the injury or illness happened during the normal course of your duties. In some situations, it may be unclear as to whether you actually were on the job.

Injuries Suffered While on a Break

State and federal labor laws require breaks when employees work a certain number of hours. As a general rule, if you’re taking a break on your employer’s premises at the time you’re injured, you’re entitled to worker’s comp. For example, if you slip on a wet floor in the break room, you’re entitled to workers’ compensation.

There are exceptions, though. If you suffer injury on break while engaging in horseplay, or otherwise violating company rules, you will likely be denied benefits.

Injuries Suffered While at Lunch

If you eat your lunch onsite, whether you bring your own or eat in a company lunch room or cafeteria, you’re eligible for workers’ compensation benefits for any injuries that occur during your lunch break. However, if you leave the premises for a meal, any injuries suffered while you are off the grounds are not covered, unless you also are performing errands at the request of a supervisor. If your boss asks you to get lunch for others or go to the post office, for example, your trip is considered work-related, and you’re be entitled to seek workers’ compensation benefits for any injuries you suffer.

Injuries Suffered During Your Commute

You cannot recover for injuries suffered on your drive to or from work unless you divert from your normal route to take care of business for your employer.

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Filed Under: Workers' Compensation Tagged With: Determining if an Injury Was Work-Related

Standing Up For Injured Clients

Construction Site Injuries in New Jersey Winters

Common Injuries Suffered in Cold Weather

Contact the Law Offices of David J. Karbasian, PC

Slip-and-Falls in New Jersey Winters