JONATHAN JEFFREY VS. STATE OF NEW JERSEY, ET AL. (L-1007-18, UNION COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) (A-1187-18)
Plaintiff was severely injured in a one-vehicle motorcycle accident and was diagnosed with quadriplegia. He claims the EMTs who responded to the accident scene caused or exacerbated his injuries by the way they picked him up from the ground and placed him in the ambulance. Plaintiff appeals from the order of Law Division that denied his motion for leave to file a late notice of claim under the Tort Claims Act.
N.J.S.A. 59:8-8 requires a claimant to file a notice of claim within ninety days of its accrual. This court holds the Law Division mistakenly exercised its discretion by not giving proper consideration to the traumatic ramifications of the catastrophic, life-altering injuries plaintiff suffered in this accident. Under the standard established by the Supreme Court in S.E.W. Friel Co. v. New Jersey Turnpike Auth., 73 N.J. 107, 122 (1977), these facts are sufficient to constitute "extraordinary circumstances" pursuant to N.J.S.A. 59:8-9.
