DiFrancesco, Bateman, Kunzman, Davis, Lehrer & Flaum, P.C.

Great work by Brian Davis another case which resulted in a voluntary dismissal of the case by the plaintiff in Union County Superior Court. The case involved an accident on Route 22 with questionable liability, but plaintiff underwent multiple pain management injections. Based on the case presented throughout discovery, liability appeared to be strongly in favor of defendant and plaintiff did not wish to pursue the case at trial.

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Proud to announce that one of our Partners, richard guss, was successful in dismissing an action in Federal Court. This case involved a complaint for a civil rights violation against a Municipality and their Police Department. Plaintiff was arrested after a domestic issue and was arrested by the Police Department. The charges were ultimately dropped when the victim declined to pursue them. Our Firm argued in the motion for summary judgment that the existence of probable cause to arrest is the ultimate defense to claims of false arrest and malicious prosecution. The court agreed. Plaintiff tried to argue that the police had a duty to investigate all sides of the story. The court declined to entertain this argument as probable cause is the ultimate defense. Plaintiff also argued a Monnel claim against the town, but they failed to identify a specific policy or custom that violated her rights and it was also dismissed.??Great work by Rich!

On September 27, 2024, Matthew Dorsi attended a hearing before Judge Hobbs at the Administrative Office of Law representing a client that was wrongly terminated by a municipality after speaking at a public?meeting.?We negotiated an immediate reinstatement of his job without having to go to trial.?Most times the most efficient and cost effective way to a resolution is a compromise and settlement by both sides. Job well done by Matt!

Outstanding work by Lisa Fittipaldi and Basmah Raja in attaining a jury verdict in a whistleblower (CEPA)?case this week which included an award of compensatory damages and?punitive damages for our client.?The trial started on September 23rd and ended on Oct 7th after almost seven (7) years of litigation. We are thrilled our client received everything they deserved after a long battle during litigation! If you or anyone you know is ever in need of an employment attorney, please reach out to our Firm.

Outstanding work by one of our Partners, Matthew Dorsi, in another successful trial for an insurance defense client. After a 4 day trial in Union County before Judge Hudak, the jury determined our client was not liable for the accident. Plaintiff claimed he had almost fully established himself in the lane of travel when the other driver came from his right side and hit his car causing it to tilt up on 2 wheels.?After the accident, plaintiff saw a chiropractor, pain management specialist and eventually a neurosurgeon in July 2021 who recommended a C5-6 fusion at the first appointment. Plaintiff was involved in a second accident on November 17, 2021 and went back to the neurosurgeon in early December 2021.?Plaintiff eventually underwent a fusion surgery at C5-6 and the surgeon was alleging over $350,000 in unpaid medical bills. After deliberating for 2 hours, the jury voted 7-0 that our client was not negligent.?Great work as always by Matt!

The Firm would like to give a special shoutout to Bill Willard on his 25th anniversary working for DiFrancesco Bateman. He is an outstanding member of our Municipal Department and we thank him for everything he does for the Firm!

Congratulations to Martin Allen for his reappointment to the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on the Tax Court. The committee includes members of the bench and tax bar, representatives of taxpayers' groups, local, county and state tax administrators, and others concerned with the administration and review of New Jersey tax laws. The committee examines Part VIII of the NJ Court Rules (Tax Court Rules) and proposes amendments and new rules to the Supreme Court. It is a huge honor to be selected for a New Jersey Supreme Court Committee and an even bigger honor to be integral enough to be reappointed. Keep up the great work, Marty!

Congratulations to Brian Davis for another no-cause at arbitration which resulted in a voluntary dismissal of the case by the plaintiff in Union County Superior Court. The case involved extensive damages for plaintiff but the liability was questionable. After the arbitrator heard from both parties, the liability was found to be substantially greater on plaintiff than the defendant. As a result, plaintiff did not wish to pursue the case at trial and the matter was voluntarily dismissed. Outstanding work!