When you send your child to school, enter a government building or encounter a government employee in New Jersey, you expect a certain level of safety and security. But what happens when these institutions fail in that responsibility, and you or your loved one is hurt as a result? Where can you turn for help? Demanding compensation from a government entity can feel overwhelming, even if a government employee was obviously to blame for your injury.

At the law firm of Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman, we understand that dealing with the government can be stressful under normal circumstances, let alone when you or your child has been injured. Filing a case against a school or government entity in New Jersey can be incredibly complex and time-consuming because they have a broad range of protections that work to shield them from liability. Regardless, if you were injured in an accident that was not your fault, the responsible party should be held accountable for compensating you for your losses.

For nearly a century, the skilled attorneys at Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman have advocated for injury victims throughout New Jersey, fighting for their rights and demanding fair compensation on their behalf. Contact our office today if you or your child were injured in a school or other government setting. You have a short window within which to put the government on notice of your claim. Therefore, it is imperative that you contact an attorney as soon as you are able after the incident.

Our Lawyers Help People with Tort Claims Act Litigation

To file a suit against the state or local government in New Jersey, you must comply with the procedure laid out in the New Jersey Tort Claims Act. The law broadly protects municipalities and state government agencies from liability but also allows them to be sued under certain circumstances. It places strict time limits on the filing of claims and lawsuits.

Consequently, holding a school or government agency accountable can be particularly challenging. You may have to contend with a labyrinth of complex rules, regulations, and time limits. But while these challenges might seem insurmountable, an experienced attorney with Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman can help you cut through the bureaucratic red tape. We

understand the relevant laws and statutes and know how to work within the system to demand the justice you deserve. However, if you delay seeking out the assistance of an attorney, you may jeopardize your ability to recover compensation for your injuries.

Types of Accidents That Occur in Schools

Parents should feel confident that their children will be safe when they go off to school. Schools should be places where children can grow and explore, not where they are put at risk of injury. Unfortunately, shoddy hiring practices, lack of proper safety measures, and poorly maintained buildings pose unnecessary risks to our society’s youngest and most vulnerable members.

Some of the most common types of accidents that happen in New Jersey schools include:

• Recreational injuries from sports, gym class, or playground accidents
• Slip-and-fall accidents
• School bus accidents
• Injuries intentionally inflicted by other students or staff members
• Food poisoning in school cafeterias
• Broken or defective school materials, furniture, or playground equipment

While these are some of the most common accidents that occur in schools, they are by no means the only ways a child could be hurt there. With any potential claim against a school, your rights can be protected only if you speak to our attorneys as quickly as possible after the incident to discuss your specific situation.

Other Types of Accidents with Government Liability

There are many other instances in which a government entity could be legally liable, including:

• Accidents involving government-operated cars and trucks
• Accidents involving public transportation, such as buses and trains
• Slip-and-fall accidents in government buildings or on government properties, such as parks
• Violent acts perpetrated by government employees
• Violations of Constitutional rights by police

School accidents and accidents on government property or involving a government employee require the injured party to adhere to short deadlines within which to assert a claim. Our New Jersey school and government liability lawyers stand ready to guide you through the process.

What You Need to Know About New Jersey’s Tort Claims Act

While the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (NJTCA) partially preserves the historical concept of sovereign immunity, which holds that the government cannot be sued directly, it does provide exceptions, which our attorneys are ready to discuss with you. For example, under some circumstances, government entities such as public schools, police departments, and transit authorities may be liable for injuries caused by employees operating within the scope of their employment. In other words, if you were hurt by a government employee who was on the job at the time, you could be entitled to file a lawsuit against their employer to recover compensation for your related losses.

Some examples of incidents that could allow you to file a claim against the government include:

• Accidents caused by NJ Transit or school bus drivers
• Injuries caused by police officers
• Slip and falls caused by parks departments that fail to properly maintain sidewalks and other walkways

It is important to understand, however, that under the terms of the NJTCA, any claims must be filed with the relevant governmental body within 90 days of the incident in question. If you miss this deadline, you will likely be barred from recovering compensation for your injuries and related losses.

Therefore, if you or your child was injured at school or on government property or by a government employee, you have no time to waste. The required first step toward holding these parties accountable is to file a timely claim under the NJTCA.

Preparing and filing a claim in this narrow 90-day window can be difficult on your own. Our experienced attorneys can do that for you. Losses that may be recovered from a school or the government may include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Reduced future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Diminished quality of life

Our attorneys are ready to evaluate your claim, gather evidence to establish liability and seek the maximum compensation to which you could be entitled.

Why You Need Our Lawyers for Your Tort Claims Act Litigation

It takes hard investigative work and knowledge of the relevant laws to file a claim that establishes liability, enumerates the total value of all losses related to the incident, and is timely filed with the appropriate government body. Failure on any of these fronts could result in the loss of your ability to seek the compensation you’re owed.

The attorneys at Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman understand how to navigate the maze of unique and specific rules that make up the government’s bureaucratic framework. Filing a claim against the government is different from filing a claim with a private insurer or taking another driver to court. Holding the government accountable takes significant specialized legal know-how, which our school and government liability attorneys can provide to you.

Contact Us Now to Discuss Your Case with a School and Government Liability Lawyer

Since 1929, the legal team at Pellettieri Rabstein & Altman has protected injured people in New Jersey and helped them demand the compensation they deserve for accidents that weren’t their fault – even filing lawsuits against the government. We have the resources, the legal knowledge, and the experience to take on even the most complicated cases, as borne out by the hundreds of millions of dollars we’ve secured on behalf of thousands of clients over the course of nearly a century of service.

Contact us today to speak with a school and government liability lawyer in New Jersey. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can get to work on your case.