King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC

Firm Profile

The law firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC, consists of 5 partners, 1 associate and 2 Of Counsel attorneys. The firm was formed in 1991 and has grown, in both quantity and quality of its services. KK&J has expertise in a wide spectrum of the law. King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC’s practice includes personal injury litigation, insurance law, nursing home abuse and neglect litigation, criminal law, commercial litigation, commercial and residential real estate, land use, banking law, probate, trusts and estates, estate planning, wills, worker’s compensation and municipal and criminal law. The firm has long-standing relationships with insurance companies and acts as litigation counsel for them. They provide legal services to State Farm Mutual Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity, Allstate Insurance Company, Scibal Associates, Home Mark Homes, Paramount Realty, Atlantic Mills, Chef’s International, Diploma Joint Insurance Fund, Inservco and New Jersey Turnpike Authority. The firm is counsel for local municipalities including Brick Township, Manasquan, Wall Township, Pine Beach, Lakewood Township, Spring Lake Heights, Stafford Township, Neptune, Berkeley Township, Lake Como, Stafford Township and various other municipal and county organizations, including Southeast Monmouth Municipal Utilities Authority and Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders Special Counsel. Our banking clients include TD Bank and Manasquan Savings Bank. The firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC, offers a full range of legal services to our business and individual clients. KK&J takes great pride in the professional approach we have to all our activities and makes an unusual effort to identify and recruit the very best people to serve our clients. Integrity and honesty are at the heart of our business and we recognize that it is basic to our continued pursuit of success on behalf of our clients.   MEMBERS OF THE FIRM RAYMOND V. KING, Resident: Jackson Township, New Jersey, admitted to bar, 1982, New Jersey. Education: University of Texas, Magnum Cum Laude, B.A., 1979, Rutgers University School of Law with Honors, J.D., 1982. Member: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ocean, Monmouth, N.J.S. and American Bar Associations, New Jersey Defense Association, Ocean County Civil Practice Advisory Committee, Ocean County Prosecutorial Judicial Appointments Committee. Participant in Rutgers University Municipal Law Program. Former Managing Partner of Lewis and Wood, Esquires, 1986 1991, Toms River and Manasquan Offices. Mr. King‘s practice includes personal injury, insurance, worker’s compensation and labor law. He is a Certified Court Approved Mediator and Arbitrator for the Superior Court of New Jersey. MARK G. KITRICK, Resident: Wall Township, New Jersey. Education: Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, B.A., 1981, Delaware Law School of Widener University, Wilmington, Delaware J.D., 1984. Honors H.R. Young Graduate Academic Scholarship. His memberships include the Monmouth and Ocean County Bar Associations, Inns of Court and New Jersey Defense Association. He is a Certified Arbitrator for the Superior Courts of New Jersey, an approved mediator for the Superior Court of New Jersey Mediation Program and a member of the Dynamic Resource Alliance. Mr. Kitrick’s practice concentrates in commercial and residential real estate, land use, banking law and worker’s compensation. He is a Court Approved Arbitrator and Mediator. He is former Co-Chairman of Civil Practice Committee for the Ocean County Bar Association. Mr. Kitrick presently serves as Borough Attorney for Manasquan, Special Counsel for Wall Township, and Planning Board Attorney for Pine Beach. He also serves as Board of Adjustment Attorney for Spring Lake Heights, Labor Counsel for Lake Como, alternate Public Defender for Lake Como and Attorney for Southeast Monmouth Municipal Utilities Authority.   JOHN J. JACKSON, III, Resident: Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. Education: Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, B.S., 1983, Western New England College School of Law, J.D., 1986 Springfield, Mass. Law Review, Cum Laude. Member: New Jersey State, Ocean County and American Bar Associations, Brick Township Chamber of Commerce, U.S. District Court of New Jersey, Former director of Foodbank of Monmouth/Ocean County, Former director of Ocean County Occupational Center, Member of New Jersey Defense Association and New Jersey Shore Builders Association. He is the former General Counsel for L&H Plumbing & Heating Supplies, Inc. 1986-1991, Lakewood, New Jersey and a former Assistant Prosecutor for the County of Ocean, Toms River, New Jersey 1988-1992. Mr. Jackson presently serves as Planning Board Attorney for Lakewood Township, the Public Defender for Brick Township and Board of Adjustment Attorney for Point Pleasant. Mr. Jackson’s areas of practice include personal injury, insurance law, criminal and municipal law, and land use. He is a Court Approved Mediator.   JEFFREY J. McWEENEY, Resident: Wall Township, New Jersey. Education: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, B.A. 1986, Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey, J.D. 1989. Mr. McWeeney is a Former Special Deputy Surrogate of the County of Ocean, Toms River, New Jersey 1990-1996 and a Former Judicial Clerk for the Honorable Judges Clyne, Piscal, Giovine and Buczynski, Ocean County Superior Court, Toms River, New Jersey 1989-1990. Member: New Jersey State Bar Association, Elder Law Section, Ocean County Bar Association, Chair-Young Lawyers 1995-96, Chair - 1995 Mock Trial Committee, Chair- 1995 Law Day Committee, Member of the Probate Committee, Elder Law Committee, Chair, Subcommittee on Guardianship Services, National College of Probate Judges, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and was a Recipient in 1996 of the Young Lawyer of the Year. Mr. McWeeney is a Guest Lecturer for the Institute for Continuing Legal education, "Problems in Administering Estates and Trusts" and for WOBM-AM "Inside the Law". He is also an Adjunct Professor for Ocean County College, Estate and Trust Administration and Associate Editor, Kane Series, New Jersey Probate Procedures Manual. Mr. McWeeney’s practice areas include Elder Law, wills and estates and estate planning and administration. He is a Court Approved Mediator. MICHAEL A. MALIA, Resident: Wall Township, New Jersey. Education: University of Scranton, cum laude, B.S. in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Business, 1997; University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D., 2000; Temple University Beasley School of Law, LL.M. in Trial Advocacy, 2003. Admitted to the New Jersey Bar, 2000; United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 2000; Pennsylvania, 2000; and United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2001. Mr. Malia has extensive jury trial, bench trial and arbitration experience. Former associate, Robert J. Casey, Jr. & Associates, State Farm Insurance Company’s Philadelphia Claim Litigation Counsel, 2002-2006; Associate, McKissock & Hoffman, P.C., Philadelphia. Mr. Malia practices all areas of Civil Litigation. He is a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He is a Certified Arbitrator for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Compulsory Arbitration Program.   KEVIN SHEEHY, Resident: Toms River, New Jersey. Education: Saint Anselm College, B.A., 2001; Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 2006. Admitted to the New Jersey Bar, 2007. Mr. Sheehy was a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable John A. Peterson, Jr., J.S.C., Ocean County, New Jersey from 2006-2007. Mr. Sheehy’s practice areas include municipal law, criminal law, insurance defense and personal injury.   ALBERT J. PLUEDDEMANN, Resident, Lavallette, New Jersey. Education: Albion College, B.S. 1948, Detroit College of Law, J.D. 1951. Member: Michigan Bar, Ocean County Bar Association and New Jersey Defense Association. State Farm Insurance, Mr. Pleuddemann is a former Division Manager, New Jersey Automobile Division for State Farm Insurance from 1969-1987. He was Of Counsel to the firm of Lewis & Wood, Manasquan, NJ from 1988-1991.   ANN M. DOUGHERTY, Resident, Lincroft, New Jersey. Education: Princeton University, B.A. English, 1981, Boston University School of Law, Boston, MA (J.D., cum laude, 1984). Member: Ocean County Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). She had her own practice for ten years prior to joining King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC. Ann’s practice areas include: Asset Protection and Medicaid and Estate Planning for Seniors and the Disabled, Guardianships, Special Needs Planning and Trusts, Retirement Planning, as well as representation of Nursing Homes, Assisted Living facilities and Hospital facilities, Estate Planning and Administration, Wills and Trusts, Disability Qualification Programs and Public Entitlement eligibility issues. She handles both planning and litigation. Her clients include seniors, persons with special needs and their familie  

Attorney Profiles

Please click the name below to view each attorney profile. John J. Jackson, III Jeffrey J. McWeeney Raymond V. King Kevin Sheehy Mark G. Kitrick Michael A. Malia Ann M. Dougherty    
John J. Jackson, III Practice Areas: Litigation and Land Use. Education: Villanova University, B.A., 1983; Western New England College School of Law, J.D., 1986. Biographical Information: Admitted to practice in the State of New Jersey and the U.S. District Court Bar in 1986. One of the founding partners at the firm. Current Lakewood Township and Point Pleasant Borough Planning Board attorney; Point Pleasant Beach Planning Board attorney from 1999 to 2005. Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Civil Trial Attorney since 1998. Former Assistant Prosecutor for Ocean County, 1988-1992. Municipal Public Defender for the Township of Brick 2005 to present.   Member New Jersey State Bar Association, Ocean County Bar Association, New Jersey Defense Association. Email: jjackson@kkjlawfirm.com   Raymond V. King Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation and Labor Law Bar Admissions: New Jersey, 1982; Pennsylvania, 1982 Education: University of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1979; Rutgers University School of Law, J.D., 1982 Biographical Information: Mr. King is a partner of the firm of King, Kitrick &amp; Jackson, LLC where he concentrates his practice in the areas of Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation, Labor and Condominium Law. He is a Member of the American Bar, New Jersey State and Ocean County Bar Associations; Ocean County Civil Practice and Judicial Advisory Committees. Mr. King is a certified mediator and arbitrator of the New Jersey Defense Association and is involved in a number of charitable and civic organizations in the Jersey Shore area. Prior to King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC, Mr. King was the former Managing Partner of Lewis and Wood, Esquires, Toms River and Manasquan offices, 1986-1991. U.S. Army 1972-1975. Email: rking@kkjlawfirm.com Connect on LinkedIn  
Mark G. Kitrick Practice Areas: Municipal Law, Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Land Use and Banking Law. Bar Admissions: New Jersey, 1986; United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1986; Third Circuit Court of Appeals, 1987; United States Supreme Court, 1992 Education: Seton Hall University, B.A., 1981; Delaware Law School of Widener University, J.D., 1984 Biographical Information: Mark G. Kitrick is a partner of the law firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC, where he concentrates his practice in the areas of Municipal Law, Real Estate Law, Land Use and Banking Law. His memberships include the Monmouth and Ocean County Bar Associations, The Inns of Court and The New Jersey Defense Association. Mr. Kitrick currently serves as the: • Borough Attorney for Manasquan • General Counsel for Southeast Monmouth Municipal Utilities Authority • Planning Board attorney for Neptune Township • Board of Adjustment attorney for Spring Lake Heights • Labor Counsel for Lake Como • Special Counsel for Wall Township Mr. Kitrick is currently a trustee for Wall Cares Charities, Monmouth/Ocean Brain Tumor Support Group, Wall Ice Hockey Club, and the John E. Connolly Golf Outing. He is a former president of the Lady Knights Rebound Club, lector at St. Mark’s Church, Relay For Life Director and South Wall Little League Officer. Email: mkitrick@kkjlawfirm.com Connect on LinkedIn   Michael A. Malia Practice Areas: Civil Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Defense, Personal Injury, Worker’s Compensation, County Tax Board and Tax Court Appeals for Real Estate. Bar Admissions: New Jersey, 2000; United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 2000; Pennsylvania, 2000; United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2001; New York, 2006. Education: University of Scranton, cum laude, B.S. in Criminal Justice with a Minor in Business, 1997; University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D., 2000; Temple University Beasley School of Law, LL.M. in Trial Advocacy, 2003. Biographical Information: Michael A. Malia is a partner with the law firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, focusing on all of the above practice areas.  He is a Certified Arbitrator for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Compulsory Arbitration Program.  Mr. Malia has extensive jury trial, bench trial and arbitration experience.  He has had jury verdicts published in Jury Verdict Review and Analysis.  Before joining King, Kitrick & Jackson, Mr. Malia was a Trial Attorney for 3½ years with State Farm Insurance Company’s Philadelphia Claim Litigation Counsel office, Robert J. Casey, Jr. & Associates.  In that capacity, he handled 1st and 3rd party State Farm defense litigation files.  He also received a certificate for completing State Farm’s NITA Trial Advocacy Skills Program in Chicago, Illinois in 2004.  Prior to working for Robert J. Casey, Jr. & Associates, Mr. Malia was an Associate for 2 years with the law firm of McKissock & Hoffman in Philadelphia, practicing civil litigation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.   Mr. Malia is the editor of King, Kitrick & Jackson’s case law updates.  He has given numerous presentations to insurance company employees relating to case law updates and expert witness trial testimony. Certification: Mr. Malia is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney. Email: mmalia@kkjlawfirm.com Connect on LinkedIn  
Jeffrey J. McWeeney Practice Areas: All matters pertaining to Wills, Estates, Trusts, Estate Planning, Estate Administration and Estate Litigation Bar Admissions: New Jersey, 1989 Education: Boston College, B.A., 1986; Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 1989 Biographical Information: Jeffrey J. McWeeney is a partner with the firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC where he concentrates his practice in all matters pertaining to Elder Law, Wills and Estate Planning and Administration. He is the former Special Deputy Surrogate for the County of Ocean. Mr. McWeeney's memberships include the New Jersey State Bar Association (member of the Elder Law Section), Ocean County Bar Association (Past President; Trustee Liaison of the Elder Law and Probate Committee), National Guardianship Association, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a Trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. He is an adjunct professor for Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ in Estate and Trust Administration. Email: jmcweeney@kkjlawfirm.com Connect on LinkedIn
Kevin Sheehy Practice Areas: Insurance Defense, Personal Injury and Municipal Court Practice. Bar Admissions:  New Jersey, 2007 Education: Saint Anselm College, B.A., 2001; Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 2006. Biographical Information: Kevin Sheehy is an Associate with the firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, LLC where he concentrates his practice in the areas of insurance defense, municipal law and personal injury.   Mr. Sheehy currently serves as the Pine Beach Planning Board Attorney. Before joining the law firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, Mr. Sheehy was a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable John A. Peterson, Jr., J.S.C, Ocean County, New Jersey, from 2006 - 2007. He is a member of the New Jersey State Bar. Email:  ksheehy@kkjlawfirm.com Connect on LinkedIn Ann M. Dougherty, Esq. Practice Areas: Elder Law, Estate Planning, Probate Litigation, Planning and Litigation Bar Admissions:  New Jersey, 1984; United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1984, and United States Supreme Court, 2006;Admitted to Colorado Bar, 1986 Education: Princeton University, A.B., 1981; Boston University School of Law, J.D., 1984  Biographical Information: Practicing in the fields of Elder Law, Medicaid, Medicare and other programs for senior citizens and the disabled, Asset Preservation, Estate Planning for Seniors and the Disabled, Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, Probate, Special Needs Planning and Trusts, Guardianships, Probate Litigation, Retirement Planning, as well as representation of Nursing Homes, Disability Programs and Public Entitlement and Waiver Eligibility issues. She handles both Planning and Litigation. Her clients include seniors and persons with special needs and their families. Ms. Dougherty’s memberships include the Certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation (CELA); Co-Chair of the Ocean County Bar Association Elder Law Section; Member of the New Jersey Bar Association, active in the Elder Law Section   Before joining the law firm of King, Kitrick & Jackson, Ms. Dougherty practiced law at Levin, Rosen, Pollack & Dougherty; Dougherty & Brogan, P.A. and Dougherty & Maiden, P. A. and Lomell, Muccifori, Adler, Ravaschiere, Amabile & Pehlivanian. She was an adjunct professor at  Ocean County College, Rutgers University, an Elder Law Instructor for  NAELA Certification Course and New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education panelist.   Email:  /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} adougherty@kkjlawfirm.com Connect on LinkedIn Back To Top

Caselaw

PARDO NO LONGER A PLAINTIFF’S SWORD: JURY TO DECIDE WHETHER A HERNIATION IS A PERMANENT INJURY BY: MICHAEL A. MALIA, ESQUIRE, LL.M.*   SUMMARY OF RECENT CASES - VOLUME V BY: MICHAEL A. MALIA, ESQUIRE, LL.M.* &diams; INSURANCE DEFENSE 1. Expert Scientific Testimony by Defendant’s Biomechanical Engineer that Low Impact Accident Could Not Have Caused Plaintiff’s Herniations Was Admissible. o Hisenaj v. Kuehner, 194 N.J. 6, 942 A.2d 769 (2008) Facts: Rear-end motor vehicle accident wherein the plaintiff claimed three herniated cervical discs and one herniated lumbar disc requiring two extensive surgical procedures.  The defense hired a biomechanical expert to testify that the low-impact collision could not have caused the herniated discs or any serious injury.  The jury rejected plaintiff’s claim that she had a permanent injury and the plaintiff appealed.  Despite not being a part of the trial record, the appellate.... SUMMARY OF RECENT CASES - VOLUME II BY: MICHAEL A. MALIA, ESQUIRE, LL.M.* &diams; INSURANCE DEFENSE 1. Verbal Threshold- Comparative Medical Evidence Required for Aggravation Claim o Davidson v. Slater, 189 N.J. 166, 914 A.2d 282 (2007) Facts: Rear-end motor vehicle accident wherein the plaintiff declined treatment at the scene. She went to the hospital the next day with complaints of neck and lower back pain. She then treated with an internist for neck and back spasms, lower back and leg pain, dizzines...

Newsletters

A Last Will and Testament Any individual, owning assets, real or personal, should consider the execution of a Last Will and Testament.  What is a Will?  It is a document that allows for the distribution of your Estate (generally those assets titled in your name alone at the time of your passing) to an individual, individuals, organizations or charities.  In New Jersey, the cost to execute a Last Will and Testament in generally inexpensive.  Also, the cost to probate (to prove) a Last Will and Testament is generally inexpensive.  Most probate applications cost less than $ 200.00 dollars.  An application is usually submitted to a County Surrogate.  A filed probate application is based on where the decedent (the person who died) was domiciled.  Domicile is your general place of residence.  It is where you live, where you vote, where you collect your mail and where, when you are away, you intend to return.  We have twenty-one (21) counties in New Jersey and as such, we have twenty-one (21) elected County Officials called Surrogates.  A Surrogate generally needs a certified copy of the death certificate and the original Last Will and Testament to start probate.  If someone dies without a Last Will and Testament, then an individual can apply to be appointed as an Administrator (male) or Administratrix (female).      An individual appointed as the personal representative under the Will is generally called the Executor (male) or the Executrix (female).  Two (2) other appointments that may also come under the Last Will and Testament are a Trustee (who manages finances for another individual) and a Guardian (an individual appointed to manage and take care of a minor child under the age of eighteen years of age).   The greatest benefit if a Last Will and Testament is the ability for you to manage and control how and to whom your Estate is distributed.  It does not matter if you are single, married, in a partnership or relationship, a man or woman.  The issue is control.  Either you direct and decide how the Estate is to be distributed.  Failure for you to do it will allow the State of New Jersey to determine and direct the distribution of the Estate.   The ability to have a Will is also important in that it makes the probate process much easier for your family and loved ones.  If you die without a Last Will and Testament, a person applying to be your Estate representative must post a surety bond which is a great expense to your Estate.   You are not required to have an attorney prepare a Last Will and Testament.  However, it is wise to spend the money to have a professional prepare the document.  This way, you would be assured that little, if any problems would likely arise in the probate process before the County Surrogate.  An attorney can also advise the implication of design, taxation, distribution issues, style, format and overall recommendations to defend or protect the integrity of the Last Will and Testament. It is not difficult to challenge a Last Will and Testament in New Jersey and an attorney well seasoned in the area can help greatly in making appropriate recommendation as to how the Last Will and Testament should be structured.  An example is a disinheritance which can effect issues such as litigation and Will contests.    Generally, an attorney needs a summary of your assets, how they are titled, a breakdown of probate assets (those titled in your name alone) and non-probate assets (a joint bank account, life insurance with a designated beneficiary, IRA’s and 401K’s with designated beneficiaries) names and addresses of beneficiaries, and names and address of individuals to be appointed including Executors, Trustees and Guardians.  For every individual selected, you should have at least one or two back up individuals for that appointment.  A Last Will and Testament is not a permanent, irrevocable document.  It is an ambulatory document that is subject to change.  You can always execute a new Will as long as you remain competent.  You can revoke a Will.  In order to change but not revoke a Last will and Testament, you can execute a Codicil which can change or alter a Will but in all other respects will republish the previously executed Last Will and Testament.  Depending on the size of your Estate, it is always wise to review with an attorney the laws governing New Jersey Inheritance Tax, New Jersey Estate Tax and Federal Estate taxes to see if you need to plan or adjust for those issues in your overall estate plan. An attorney will also review with you the ability to execute a Letter of Last Instructions.  Such a document allows you to distribute personalty (clothing, collectibles, jewelry, heirlooms, etc) to individuals of your choosing.  By executing the document outside the terms of your Will but referencing it in your Will, you can modify or change that list as many times as you wish without altering your Last Will and Testament. WHAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU ARE SELECTING AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COVERAGE OPTIONS The law requires the owner of every automobile registered or principally garaged in New Jersey to maintain an insurance policy.   You are required to elect either a standard or a basic policy.   A standard policy provides bodily injury (BI) and property damage (PD) liability coverage, personal injury protection (PIP) coverage and uninsured (UM)/underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage.   A basic policy provides only limited amounts of property damage liability and PIP coverage.   Liability insurance is designed to pay damages to any persons who are injured or whose property is damaged due to your negligent operation of any automobile or due to the negligent operation of your automobile by your or by anyone else with your permission.  In addition, liability insurance protects your assets if an injured person makes a claim against you, a resident member of your family, or the operator of your automobile. If you select a standard policy, you are required to purchase bodily injury liability coverage in the amount of at least $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident and property damage liability coverage of $5,000.   Your insurance company must offer you additional coverage up to $250,000 per person/$500,000 per accident for bodily injury and $100,000 for property damage or a $500,000 single limit. If you select a basic policy, you are required to purchase only property damage liability coverage of $5,000.  You may elect optional bodily injury liability coverage in the amount of $10,000 for injury to one or more persons in any one accident.  A basic policy without the option provides no bodily injury liability coverage and will place your assets at risk. In addition, if someone makes a claim against you or if you are sued, your insurance company will not provide or pay for a lawyer to defend you, even if you feel that you were not at fault for the accident.   You will be required to hire and pay for your own attorney to represent you or to defend yourself.    If you do not appear in court, a default judgment may be entered against you for monetary damages. If you purchase a standard policy, you will be required to elect a lawsuit option that will affect your right to make a claim against a negligent driver.   You may choose either the “no limitation on lawsuit option” or the “limitation on lawsuit option.”  If you purchase a basic policy, you will be assigned the “limitation of lawsuit option” automatically.    If you elect the “no limitation of lawsuit option” (sometimes called “no threshold”), you are allowed to make a claim against a negligent driver for any injuries that you sustain in an automobile accident. If you elect the “limitation on lawsuit option” (sometimes called the “verbal threshold”), you are not permitted to make a claim against a negligent driver for pain and suffering unless you have sustained one of the following six types of injury: Death. Dismemberment. Significant disfigurement or significant scarring. A displace fracture. Loss of a fetus. Permanent injury where a body part or organ has not healed to function normally and will not heal to function normally with further medical treatment. Your choice of lawsuit option applies to your spouse and any children who live with you (who do not have their own insurance coverage).   If you choose the “limitation on lawsuit option,” they will also lose the right to make a claim for injuries sustained in an automobile accident unless their injuries qualify under the threshold that you selected. The New Jersey No Fault Act requires your automobile insurance policy to include PIP coverage for you or any resident family member who is injured in any automobile accident.  In addition, PIP coverage is provided to any person who drives your car with your permission and to any passenger in your car.    If you purchase a standard policy, your insurance company is required to pay reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to $250,000 per person per accident; however, you may elect lower limits of medical expense benefits in the amounts of $15,000; $50,000; $75,000 or $150,000 for a lower premium.  If you select a basic policy, your medical expense benefits will be limited to $15,000. The payment of medical bills is subject to a statutory deductible of $250 and a co-payment of 20 percent up to $5,000 per person per accident.   This means that you may be required to pay $1,200 of the first $5,000 of medical expenses.  In addition, you may elect higher deductibles in the amounts of $500, $1,000, $2,000 and $2,500.   If so, you will be required to pay more of your own medical bills.    PIP benefits also include an income continuation benefit of $100 a week for 52 weeks; essential family or household services of $12 a day for 365 days; a death benefit; and funeral expenses of $1,000.   You may purchase additional income continuation benefits up to $700 a week for two years or as long as the disability persists; essential services of $20 a day for two years; funeral expenses of $2,000; and an additional death benefit of $10,000.   On the other hand, you may choose to exclude all “additional” PIP benefits.  If you select a basic policy, you will not receive any “additional” PIP benefits. A standard policy provides uninsured motorist (UM) coverage in the amount of $15,000 per peson/$30,000 per accident.   You may purchase additional UM coverage up to $250,000 per person/$500,000 per accident or $500,000 single limit (as long as you have the same amount of liability insurance).   A basic policy does not provide any uninsured motorist coverage.    If you are injured in an accident, you may make a claim against the negligent driver for your pain and suffering and economic loss and you may file a lawsuit to obtain a monetary judgment.   However, the insurance company that insures the negligent driver will not be responsible to pay any damages above their policy limit.   Since many owners maintain only the minimum liability limits of $15/30,000 and since basic policyholders have no bodily injury liability coverage, you might decide to obtain your own insurance coverage to protect yourself and your family.   You may purchase underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage in the same amounts as your uninsured motorist coverage in the same amounts as your uninsured motorist coverage-up to $250,000 per person/$500,000 per accident or $500,000 single limit (as long as you have the same amount of liability insurance).    A basic policy does not provide any underinsured motorist coverage.

Announcements

Jeffrey J. McWeeney Elected President of the Ocean County Bar Association - Brick Township attorney and WallTownship resident Jeffrey J. McWeeney, Esquire  has been elected president of the Ocean County Bar Association (OCBA). Click here for more information  
King, Kitrick & Jackson is pleased to announce that Jeffrey J. McWeeney has been reappointed as a trustee of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. The New Jersey State Bar Foundation is the educational and philanthropic arm of the New Jersey State Bar Association and its mission is to promote public understanding of the law through a free, comprehensive public education program.
Effective January 1, 2011, KING, KITRICK & JACKSON, LLC proudly announces the addition of ANN M. DOUGHERTY, ESQUIRE, CELA (Certified Elder Law Attorney) to the firm. Ann will be concentrating in the areas of Elder Law, Medicaid and Medicare, Special Needs Law and Public Entitlement Programs. Click here to read more about Ann.    
KING, KITRICK AND JACKSON, LLC is pleased to announce that Partner Michael A. Malia, Esquire, LL.M. was recently certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney. Click here for more information  

In the News

Wall Police Wins Record-keeping Ruling Wall Township Police Department recently won a long-running record-keeping panel ruling. Mark Kitrick, the department’s attorney, is pleased that the state Government Records Council reversed the dispute. Stating that the Police Department “goes great lengths to comply with the task of keeping voluminous records.” Read more
Wall Township Approves Resident Gazebo Project The Wall Township Board recently approved local homeowners’ application for a variance to build a gazebo in the backyard of their home. Mark Kitrick represented the couple at the board meeting urging the board to approve the application. After Mr. Kitrick and the homeowner’s testimony, the board unanimously approved the application. Read the full October 27, 2010 Coast Star article.
Kitrick  is new Squan attorney MANASQUAN — On Monday, the Manasquan Council and Mayor George Dempsey held a special meeting to hire a new borough attorney, with Democrat and Republican council members split over the decision straight down party lines. Read more...
Planners approve addition to existing Hwy 34 building Instead of demolishing the existing building at 2379 Highway 34, the structure - which will be used as law office - will be "recycled,: something Committeeman George Newberry said he appreciated. Read more...