Eugene William v. Cumberland County

Eugene William sued Cumberland County, New Jersey on a governmental tort claim negligence theory for the injuries and damages that he suffered in a motorcycle crash in March 7, 2005 which he claimed on the County's repeated failure to fix a dangerous condition and for failing to properly warn of the danger on Route 555, in Laurel Lake. It was nearly dark when Williams crossed the roadway on his Harley Davidson, on his way home from Downe Township. His wife rode behind and to his right on another motorcycle. The two hadn't used that road on the way to Downe. Williams motorcycle hit a damaged portion of road, hit the ground and slid almost 100 feet. Williams was unconscious at the scene. He is a "trained motorcycle rider," and "the evidence demonstrated that he was driving cautiously and wearing full protective gear."

Williams suffered a closed head injury, ruptured spleen, lacerated liver and host of other complications while in the hospital.

Plaintiff claimed that the county knew the repeated temporary repairs would not correct the underlying problem: Roadbed failure. The county had made insufficient, temporary fixes to that portion of the road over a span of three years leading up to the time of the accident. It had posted an unlit "damaged road" sign in a dark area and placed onstruction barrels on the shoulder of the road appeared to show that the damaged areas were on the shoulder and not in the actual traffic lane.

Plaintiff's verdict for $1.5 million.

Emeritus Steven Batterman, University of Pennsylvania Professor