Toms River New Jersey Personal Injury Law Blog

"Clean-up on aisle five!" This is a common announcement grocery shoppers in New Jersey are likely to hear at one time or another. Even if clean-ups are handled fairly quickly, there's always the risk of someone slipping, falling and sustaining a serious personal injury. In fact, the president of a leading underwriter of specialty insurance products considers fall injuries to be the number one cause of loss in the grocery world. There are many different types of things that people can slip and fall on, from split liquids to coupons that fell out of someone's pocket.

To be fair, many grocery stores do regularly take steps to reduce the risk of slip-and-fall accidents for both shoppers and employees. Such efforts typically include using slip-resistant floor treatments, replacing slip-resistant mats and consistently mopping floors. Even when steps like this are taken, there's always the potential for unexpected variables, like an elderly shopper with poor eyesight or a rambunctious toddler knocking down canned goods.

All employees in New Jersey who handle hazardous chemicals will want to keep these 11 safety rules in mind as they are basic and can apply to most workplaces. They are in no particular order, but the first rule is the most obvious: Workers should follow the established procedures and work as they were trained to do. Workers will want to be cautious and identify hazards before they start any task.

Employers should have procedures for emergency situations like fires and spills as well as procedures for evacuation and reporting. To prevent contamination, employees can clean all work surfaces at least once during their shift. Fifth, employees must be provided with adequate personal protective equipment. Worn-out or damaged PPE must be replaced. When working, employees should avoid eating and drinking, and when their hands are contaminated, they should never touch contact lenses or use cosmetics.

New Jersey residents who plan on taking a road trip during the summer are probably aware that others have similar plans. This means more cars on the road and, unfortunately, more crashes. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car and motorcycle crashes are the number one cause of traumatic brain injuries. This should be a cause for concern for everyone out on the road.

TBI symptoms can arise just minutes after an accident, but they are often delayed symptoms. They can include exaggerated mood changes, slurred speech and changes in cognitive function. Doctors examining crash victims will look for issues like memory loss, poor word recall, loss of balance and coordination and a diminished ability to count backward. These could point to a TBI or, in less severe cases, a concussion.

In 2017, there were 37,150 fatalities on the nation's roads, according to U.S. DoT data. This is a 10 percent increase from 2014, and many experts believe that distracted driving has a large part to play in it. Drivers in New Jersey who are concerned about this trend, which is being aggravated by advances in technology, can consider the results of several recent studies made on the subject.

An AAA study showed that built-in infotainment systems demand a high level of attention from drivers, even more so than interfaces like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay that run off smartphones. Researchers conducted an experiment with 64 participants driving five different vehicles; the participants were asked to make calls, text, adjust audio, enter navigation destinations and use the other features on the infotainment systems and smartphone interfaces.