Key Takeaways
- William Mikita, founding partner of Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, has been selected to the New Jersey Super Lawyers list for 2015 through 2018 and 2022 through 2025, and the firm keeps a Monmouth County office at 1301 Highway 36 in Hazlet.
- Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, takes slip and fall cases on contingency, so a client owes no fee unless the firm wins, and New Jersey Court Rule 1:21-7 caps the fee at 33 1/3% of the first $500,000 recovered.
- Hazlet Town Center and Airport Plaza are located along the busy Route 35 and Route 36 retail corridor, where heavy daily foot traffic raises the odds of a fall.
- New Jersey law lets an injured shopper recover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering even when they hold up to 50% of the fault; settlement value depends on injury severity and evidence.
A trip through a Hazlet parking lot or store aisle should not end in an emergency room visit. Stores along Route 35 and Route 36 see spills, cracked pavement, and cluttered aisles on a regular basis, and any one of these can cause a serious slip and fall accident. New Jersey law may hold a property owner responsible when a hazard causes an injury. Hazlet slip and fall lawyers examine each case to determine who bears responsibility and how much compensation an injured person can pursue.
When Does a Property Owner Bear Liability?
New Jersey premises liability law requires property owners to maintain reasonably safe conditions for customers. Owners who invite the public onto their property, known as invitees, receive the highest duty of care under state law. A store owner must inspect the premises regularly, repair known hazards promptly, and warn customers about dangers the owner cannot fix right away.
Common Hazards in Hazlet Stores and Parking Lots
Hazlet hosts a dense retail corridor, including Hazlet Town Center and Airport Plaza along Route 35 and Route 36, where thousands of shoppers cross parking lots and aisles each week. Common hazards include wet floors near entrances, spilled products in aisles, uneven pavement, poor lighting, and torn carpeting near checkout areas. The National Floor Safety Institute reports that falls send more than eight million people to emergency rooms each year, and flooring materials contribute to over two million of those injuries.
What You Must Prove in a Premises Liability Claim
An injured shopper must show that the owner knew, or should have known, about the hazard and failed to fix it in time. New Jersey follows a modified comparative negligence rule under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1, allowing recovery as long as fault does not exceed 50%. N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2 gives an injured person two years from the fall to file suit, and missing that deadline generally bars the personal injury claim.
What to Do After a Fall in Hazlet
An injured shopper should report the fall to store management and request a written incident report. Photographs of the hazard, medical records, and witness contact information strengthen a future claim. A prompt call to an attorney protects this evidence, since surveillance footage often disappears within weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a claim in New Jersey?
New Jersey law gives an injured person two years from the date of the fall to file suit under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2.
Can I recover compensation if I was partly at fault?
Yes. New Jersey allows recovery as long as fault does not exceed 50%, although that percentage reduces the final award.
What does Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, charge for a slip and fall case?
Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, works on contingency, so a client pays no upfront fee, and the firm collects payment only after securing a recovery, subject to New Jersey Court Rule 1:21-7.
Hazlet Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers at Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, Fight for Fair Compensation
An injured shopper deserves clear answers, not a runaround from an insurance adjuster. The Hazlet slip and fall accident lawyers at Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, represent Hazlet and Monmouth County residents injured in preventable falls. Visit our website or call us today at 732-705-3363 to schedule a free consultation. We have offices in Piscataway and Hazlet, NJ, and we serve clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.