Bucks County man could sue South Jersey community for $1 million over Turnpike crash
A Bucks County man could sue a South Jersey community for $1 million after he was rear-ended on a backed-up highway.
Eldion Pajollari has filed a tort claim notice with Salem County preserving his right to sue in connection with the March 31 crash on the New Jersey Turnpike.
A tort claim notice must be filed prior to suing a government entity in New Jersey. The notice does not mean a lawsuit will be filed; it only preserves to right to sue in the future.
The incident took place at Exit 3 on the New Jersey Turnpike in Runnemede, Camden County, when Pajollari was rear-ended by a Chevy Impala driven by Reinaldo Anzola, according to a New Jersey State Police accident report included in the tort claim notice.
In Pajollari’s claim, filed by attorney Brandon J. Broderick, the Feasterville resident says he was injured when a Chevy Impala slammed into the back of his Infinity Q50.
It wasn’t clear in the report which agency Anzola worked for. The Impala’s owner was listed at 94 State Street in Salem City — the address for the county administration building. The tort claim lists the county, the sheriff’s office and the Salem City police department as responsible for Pajollari’s injuries.
Messages left with Salem County counsel and Pajollari's attorney were not returned Friday afternoon. Pajollari was not available Friday afternoon for comment. Anzola could not be reached.
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Anzola reportedly claimed Pajollari stopped suddenly, but the included police report faults Anzola for following too closely.
The men were stuck in stop-and-go traffic as Pajallori described it, as cars waited to exit the highway. The force of the crash pushed him into the car in front of him.
That car had no visible damage, the report says, but Pajollari's and Anzola's cars had to be towed from the scene.
The investigating officer wrote that no injuries were reported at the scene, but the tort claim notes injuries to Pajollari's upper extremities and legs.
The tort claim says that Anzola's negligence includes but is not limited to failure to observe traffic, failure to follow traffic properly, failure to safely operate a vehicle, failure to maintain a safe following distance, failure to alert other drivers and for creating a hazardous condition.
The public entities listed as causing the injury and damage include the County of Salem Sheriff's Department, County of Salem, City of Salem, and the City of Salem Police Department.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Feasterville man says Salem County employee rear-ended him on highway
