Sofia T. Torres, Plaintiff-Respondent v. Javier Pabon and Suburban Disposal, Inc., Defendants-Appellants

Summary

The New Jersey Supreme Court reversed the Appellate Division and remanded for a new trial, finding five trial‑court errors—improper adverse‑inference charges, untimely admissions, a faulty duty‑to‑maintain‑safe‑distance instruction, and failure to exclude medical‑expense evidence—constituted cumulative error that denied defendants a fair trial. The Court applied the Hill four‑pronged test and statutory duties to determine the errors were reversible.