General liability

Matters relating to the garden variety automobile case, premises liability, landlord/tenant liability, wrongful deaths, negligent supervision, nursing homes are routinely litigated by the firm. We pride ourselves in defending complex cases involving Title 59, Employer’s liability, Public Officials liability, CEPA and LAD litigation, construction litigation, architects and engineers malpractice and products liability.

We recently obtained a favorable settlement of a case filed by the estate of an individual who was murdered in a restaurant located in a high crime area of Paterson, New Jersey.

Notwithstanding the trial judge’s ruling that evidence of prior violent crimes committed in the restaurant were admissible, the case settled for $7000.

Employee v. employer liability

Employees suing their employers for more than worker’s compensation benefits is on the rise in New Jersey. The common law trend is to permit this type of litigation where the employer’s conduct is so egregious that there is a virtual certainty that an injury will result from that conduct.

In a case that made national headlines, Mr. Welt defended a water utility which employed a high level chemist who was murdered in its plant by a co-employee. The case settled only for an accelerated payment of worker’s compensation benefits.

Products liability

Allegedly defective scaffolding, power saws, snowblowers and furnaces are all cases which the firm has defended.

Recent successes include the payment of property damage only when an exploding boiler destroyed a house, forcing its occupant to evacuate the burning premises, sustaining a heart attack in the process. After discovery, plaintiff’s counsel voluntarily dismissed the personal injury portion of the case.

In a products case involving the destruction of a roof shingles plant, the insurance company felt more comfortable with having our firm defend the litigation in North Carolina where the incident occurred in lieu of relating local counsel in that state.

School board liability

The firm represents a number of schools districts whose teachers have been involved in a variety of claims including retaliatory discharge, discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, and inappropriate sexual contact with students.

Recent successes include the defense of a school board in a case involving the suicide of a gay student allegedly as a result of a sexual relationship with his teacher. The case settled for $35, 00 used to establish a scholarship fund.

In a case in which a high school teacher allegedly raped a student in the school, plaintiff’s counsel field a voluntary dismissal of the case after the student’s mother was deposed by Mr. Welt.

Public entity liability

As a member of the Municipal Joint Insurance Fund, Mr. Welt has represented a number of counties, cities, towns and municipal agencies such as water and sewerage commissions. Issues related to sovereign immunity, dangerous conditions of property within the meaning of Title 59, Public Officials Liability and defamation.

Construction litigation

The firm has experience with construction cases, primarily as counsel for architects and engineers in either defense of malpractice claims against these professionals or in defense of construction defects on projects which either cause damage to third parties or delay damages are claimed.