By Todd Knode 

If you are a firefighter, police officer or other emergency worker in New Jersey and you received injuries while on the job due to another person’s intentional or negligent act an experienced New Jersey Workers’ Comp Claim Lawyer can help you.  Until March of 2007 first responders in New Jersey were prohibited from filing suit due to the common law created “fire fighter’s rule”.  This rule was created because it was determined by the courts that it is part of the job for emergency workers to confront dangerous situations that were caused by someone else.  Thus, allowing injured fire fighters to sue a homeowner for causing a fire would result in court clogging litigation.  Instead, fire fighter’s injuries were to be covered by worker’s compensation funds or other department benefits.

That rule is now abolished due to Ruiz v. Mero which was decided by the state Supreme Court in March of 2007.  Ruiz was a police officer who sued a bar owner for injuries he received when he responded to a 911 call involving a fight.  The bar owner moved for dismissal of the case due to this common law rule and the court held that a recently enacted statute now allowed emergency workers to sue for all injuries suffered due to someone else’s negligence.

The law firm of LaRocca, Feeley & Associates has a large worker’s compensation practice and is in a unique position to represent injured fire fighters, police officers and other emergency workers.  Prior to becoming an attorney Mr. Feeley was a police officer and is currently a volunteer Deputy Fire Chief in the City of Orange Fire Department.  Mr. LaRocca is a former Corrections Officer for Union County.  Both men understand the risks that emergency workers face on a daily basis, and that those risks are unavoidable.