Date: 07-10-2025

Case Style: Jacquelin Houston v. Dollar Tree, Inc.

Case Number: 2:24-cv-07316

Judge: Evelyn Padin

Court: United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (Essex County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Chris Morbille and Robert Lord

Defendant's Attorney: Neal Thakkar

Description: Mountainside, New Jersey personal injury lawyers represented the Plaintiff who sued on a premises liability negligence theory.

New Jersey premises liability law holds property owners responsible for maintaining safe conditions on their property for lawful visitors. If a property owner's negligence leads to injury due to a dangerous condition, they can be held liable for damages. This includes compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
What is Premises Liability?

Premises liability is a type of personal injury law that addresses injuries sustained on someone else's property due to hazardous conditions. It focuses on the property owner's responsibility to maintain a safe environment for visitors.
Key Elements of a Premises Liability Claim:

Duty of Care:
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Property owners have a legal duty to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition for those who are lawfully on the premises.

Breach of Duty:
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This duty is breached when the property owner fails to take reasonable steps to address or warn of dangerous conditions.
Causation:
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The breach of duty must be the direct cause of the injury.

Damages:
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The injured party must have suffered damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering, as a result of the injury.

Types of Visitors:

New Jersey law recognizes different categories of visitors, each with varying levels of protection:

Invitee:
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A person invited onto the property for the owner's benefit (e.g., a customer in a store). Owners owe the highest duty of care to invitees, including a duty to inspect and repair dangerous conditions.
Licensee:
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A person permitted to be on the property (e.g., a social guest). Owners owe a duty to warn licensees of known dangerous conditions.
Trespasser:
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A person who enters the property without permission. Owners generally owe the least duty of care to trespassers, but may still have a duty to avoid intentionally causing them harm.

Outcome: 07/10/2025 16 Order Administratively Terminating Action - 60 Day, Pending Consummation of Settlement. Administrative Termination deadline set for 9/8/2025. Signed by Judge Evelyn Padin on 7/10/2025. (bt) (Entered: 07/10/2025)

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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