RECENT TRIAL NEWS
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY


    While most cases settle, others end up before the jury:

Slip and Fall trial

    Jeff Mandel recently won a jury trial in which his client, a physician, was sued after someone allegedly fell off of an examining room table.  While the law on premises liability is generally favorable to those injured on another's property, the jury voted in favor of Jeff's client after a five day trial.

    Plaintiff sued for two broken hips, both requiring surgery.  The case went to trial before the Honorable Stephan C. Hansbury in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County.

  Prior to trial, Plaintiff's attorney demanded $500,000 to settle the case.  During trial, the demand went down to $250,000.  Plaintiff was awarded $0.


Consumer Fraud Trial

    Jeff Mandel won a jury trial in which his client filed a Complaint against a large car dealership located in northern New Jersey for breach of contract and for violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.  The dealership denied the allegations and filed a Counterclaim seeking additional money from Jeff's client for breach of contract and money for damages allegedly suffered for several common law causes of action.  The case went to trial before the Honorable Estela De La Cruz in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County.
  
     The trial proceeded for two calendar weeks.  An eight person jury (we waived the removal of two alternate jurors for strategic purposes) returned its verdict.  The jury ruled in favor of Jeff's client and, in addition to awarding actual damages, awarded treble damages under the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.  The court also awarded Jeff's client reimbursement of all reasonable attorneys' fees incurred during the litigation- which lasted several years.  The jury then dismissed the Counterclaim against Jeff's client in its entirety.