Helping victims injured by dangerous or defective property conditions in Bergen County
Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents can occur whenever a property or business owner fails reasonably to inspect or maintain a premises, including interiors and exteriors, or creates a hazardous condition and does nothing to fix it. A needless accident can also result from a landowner failing to warn of a danger he or she should have known about.

If you slipped on a snowy sidewalk that a store owner should have shoveled hours before, fell in the supermarket when no one had cleaned up the aisle, tripped on misaligned sidewalk edges, fell down stairs in poor condition or were otherwise injured in a fall while on or in someone else’s property or business, you may have a claim for negligence. At the Law Offices of Richard S. Greenberg, we have decades of experience in all types of slip and trip and fall cases — known as premises liability — and the results to prove it.

Where do slip and fall & trip and fall accidents occur?
Slip and fall cases are significantly different from other types of personal injury cases. The evidence of the condition that caused the injury often quickly disappears. The snow melts, the spill gets cleaned up or the stairs are repaired. If you are injured by tripping or slipping and falling, try to get photographs of the scene with a camera phone if you have one, the names and phone numbers of witnesses, and any physical evidence. Remember, slip and fall and trip and fall accidents can occur almost anywhere you go, including:

Department stores
Malls and shopping centers, including on escalators
Restaurants and bars
Fast-food restaurants, such as McDonald’s
Coffee shops, like Starbucks
Sidewalks and entryways maintained by stores and businesses
Parking lots or underground garages
Apartments or rental units

What are some typical property defects that cause accidents?
Using their decades of experience, our lawyers help victims recover compensation through a lawsuit or settlement for injuries caused by all types of dangerous property conditions and defects, including:

Grocery store spills
Dropped food and spills in restaurants, including fast-food and convenience stores
Slippery or wet floors, stairs or sidewalks
Slippery floor-cleaning products
Missing handrails
Broken or uneven steps or stairs
Garbage spills
Poor drainage
Leaks
Puddles, ice or snow
Swimming pool accidents
Cracked or uneven pavement, sidewalks or flooring
Torn or uneven carpeting
Cracked, uneven or poorly repaired sidewalks or passages
Potholes
Electrical wiring
Negligent construction work
Inadequate or dim lighting
Failure to warn of hazards

Are slip and fall injuries serious?
Unfortunately, many people erroneously believe that trip and fall and slip and fall accidents are minor and should not result in a lawsuit. Falls can cause serious injuries, including badly broken bones in the wrist, arm, leg, foot or spine. Falls are the leading cause of brain injuries in victims of all ages, accounting for more than 30 percent of new traumatic head injuries each year. While falls affect victims of all ages, children and older adults are particularly susceptible to these kind of injuries. Falls cause half of all traumatic brain injuries in children ages 14 and younger and more than 60 percent of brain injuries in adults ages 65 and older. Older adults are also particularly at risk for a spinal injury during a fall, with 25 percent of spinal cord injuries resulting from falls. Falls are the leading cause of spinal injuries in adults older than 65.

Compassion and support after the loss of a loved one in an accident
Despite federal, state and local safety regulations, ongoing safety studies, defensive driver training, licensing and registration requirements, and other steps taken to ensure that our roads are safe, serious accidents occur in New Jersey every day. At the Law Offices of Richard S. Greenberg, we realize that understanding where and why accidents occur can help you avoid a potentially fatal crash.

Where do fatal accidents occur on New Jersey roads?
In 2011, there were 79,886 crashes in New Jersey with 106 fatalities on the municipal road system and 74,794 crashes with 174 fatalities on the county road system. The majority of these accidents occurred between intersections during the daytime. The most common accidents were rear end crashes, angle collisions, collisions into parked vehicles and sideswipe accidents.

Some of the most commonly used roads and highways in Bergen County include Route 17, Route 4 and Route 93 (or Grand Avenue). In the tri-state area, U.S. Route 130, also known as Burlington Pike, has earned the title of deadliest road based on the number of pedestrian deaths along that route. Interstates I-76 and I-78 number among the most deadly highways in the nation. Other dangerous roads include I-80 and the New Jersey Turnpike, each of which had a dozen fatal accidents in 2011.

Fatal accident statistics for New Jersey
Fatal accidents occur regularly on New Jersey roads and highways. During the first half of 2013, 237 vehicle accidents occurred, involving 249 fatalities, 13 of which occurred in Bergen County. The victims of these New Jersey crashes were mostly drivers — 129 to be exact — with an additional 40 being passengers, nine cyclists and 71 pedestrians who sustained deadly injuries. By contrast, in Bergen County pedestrians are at the greatest risk of wrongful death, followed by vehicle passengers.

Auto accidents are not the only type of fatal accidents. Motorcycles, trucks, bikes and pedestrians can all be involved in fatal traffic injuries in New Jersey and throughout the United States:

An average of about 2,000 injuries and 70 fatalities result from motorcycle accidents on New Jersey roads each year. Between 2003 and 2007, 377 motorcyclists died on New Jersey highways, according to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
In 2008, about 380,000 truck accidents were recorded involving semi-trucks, big rigs, 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers and other large trucks in the United States. About 90,000 people were injured and 4,229 killed. This number represents 11 percent of all reported traffic fatalities and is an increase over prior years. The majority of injuries and fatalities involved passengers of other vehicles.
Bicycles were involved in 17 accidents in New Jersey in 2011, while 142 pedestrians were killed.
For all types of vehicles in New Jersey in 2011, alcohol use contributed to more than 190 fatalities. Speeding contributed to another 174 deadly accidents.