New Jersey Bus Crash Settlement

A $1 million settlement could be approved by New Jersey Transit board members between two Hudson County corrections officers, who were injured in March 2013 when their van collided with a bus in Jersey City. On March 19, a bus driven by Miguel A. Castro was westbound on Pavonia Avenue in Jersey City. The bus went around a double-parked vehicle and crossed into the path of the county corrections can that Gary Good was driving to the federal courthouse in Newark. Castro had attempted to pass the double-parked car but he was unable to get the entire bus back in the lane. The oncoming corrections van driven by Good hit the rear of the bus, which was still in their lane and the bus driver was then cited for leaving the scene of an accident and failure to stay in lane. Records showed that Castro has worked for the agency since 1996 and is still employed there to this day.

Good ended up needing three surgeries. Doctors took out a disc in his neck, a disc in his lower back, and did surgery on his left elbow. He was left quite immobile from this and couldn’t work as a corrections officer, couldn’t shoot a gun, and his left hand was reported as being “like a claw” because of the accident. Julio Camacho, the rider who was in the van with Good, had surgery to replace his shoulder and replace a disc in his neck.

Under the agreement of the settlement, both Good and Camacho would look forward to receiving a $500,000 settlement. The $1 million is actually part of a larger $2.25 million settlement that had been reached through mediation before the case went to trial. Both officers have been stated as being unable to return to work due to the extent of their injuries and have been on disability since the accident. (1)

Many commuters take advantage of commuter bus transportation options throughout the New Jersey and New York areas. However, things become a problem when negligent driving is combined with the size and weight of these buses being a safety risk. If a person becomes injured as a result of a commuter bus accident, they could be eligible to recover money in a civil lawsuit against such. However, in order to prove a claim, the following things will need to be proven: You were injured, the injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, and that display of negligence was the direct cause of your injuries (whether physical, financial, or emotional.) These things are very vital to remember if you become injured as a result of an accident.

In New Jersey, it is also important to remember that there is a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury cases, these types of cases included. If you do not file a claim within two years, you will lose out on your right to receive compensation for your accident. However, if the liable party was a government agency like the Federal Transit Administration or New Jersey Transit, you must give them formal notice of your claim within 90 days of the accident. Having a knowledgeable attorney by your side can bring you many benefits. Speak with Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi P.C. today about your options!

(1) http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/06/nj_transit_to_vote_on_1_million_crash_settlement.html