Wrongful death

Donald Caminiti

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The family of a Seton Hall University student abducted outside the school gates and murdered by her former boyfriend can pursue a wongful death claim against the city of Newark baed on a bungled 9-1-1 call.

A 9-1-1 caller reported seeing a man pull a woman into a car and drive off as she screamed and beat on the windows. The 9-1-1 operator reported the incident but failed to note the direction in which the car was proceeding. The operator was found to have violated department policies and procedures in handling the call. The woman suffered serious personal injuries resulting in her wrongful death.

The Appellate Division held that lower level ministerial tasks, such as reporting the direction of travel of the automobile, were not immune from suit.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Wrongful Death.