Ayers v. Jackson Tp.

461 A.2d 184, 189 N.J. Super. 561
CourtNew Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division
DecidedApril 5, 1983
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 461 A.2d 184 (Ayers v. Jackson Tp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ayers v. Jackson Tp., 461 A.2d 184, 189 N.J. Super. 561 (N.J. Ct. App. 1983).

Opinion

189 N.J. Super. 561 (1983)
461 A.2d 184

ROBERT AYERS AND MAE AYERS ET ALS., PLAINTIFFS,
v.
TOWNSHIP OF JACKSON, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, ET ALS., DEFENDANTS.

Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division Ocean County.

Decided April 5, 1983.

*564 Steven J. Phillips and Donald I. Marlin for plaintiffs (Kreindler & Kreindler, attorneys).

Robert V. Paschon and Steven T. Singer for defendant Township of Jackson (Paschon, Feurey & Kotzas, attorneys).

Guy H. Haskins for defendants Ernst, Ernst & Lissenden and John A. Ernst, III (Haskins, Robottom, Hack, Piro & O'Day, attorneys).

HAVEY, J.S.C.

Defendant Township of Jackson and its township engineer, defendant John A. Ernst, III, move for partial summary judgment against plaintiffs, dismissing various plaintiffs' claims for bodily injury in this action involving claims of groundwater pollution allegedly caused by the operation of a municipal landfill.

Plaintiffs are 325 residents of the Legler section of Jackson Township, Ocean County, who allege that toxic wastes leached through the municipal landfill owned and operated by defendant *565 township and contaminated plaintiffs' well water. The residents allege that this contamination caused them to suffer bodily injury, emotional distress, impairment of quality of life and enhancement of risk of cancer. They also claim that the contamination resulted in property damage and property value loss to their homes. They allege that exposure to known carcinogens ingested by them over a long period of time will require substantial medical surveillance in the future, and they assert that the contamination of their well water and its ingestion constitutes a violation of their civil rights and a taking of property without due process or just compensation, cognizable under the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983.

Plaintiffs' complaint is couched in negligence, trespass, nuisance, battery and strict liability in tort. They allege that in 1972 defendant township negligently selected the site in question as a municipal landfill, failed to make adequate test borings to determine soil conditions, and provided erroneous data to the Department of Environmental Protection in applying for a permit to operate the landfill. They allege that defendant Ernst, as township engineer, was responsible for the selection of the site and the application process, and was negligent in carrying out his duties. The complaint states that, commencing in 1972 when the township began operating the landfill, the township violated state standards and exceeded the conditions of its permit in accepting excess liquid waste and permitted dumping into trenches dug too deep. This resulted in ponding and the dumping of waste directly into the groundwater. Plaintiffs also assert that defendant township failed to properly maintain and supervise the landfill, resulting in the depositing of chemical wastes at the site. It is claimed that on various occasions from 1972 to 1978 defendant had actual knowledge of contamination of the groundwater beneath the landfill, but took no steps to abate the condition. Finally, it is claimed that in November 1978, after complaints by residents about changes in their drinking water and of foul odor emanating from the landfill, the State of New Jersey advised the residents to stop drinking their *566 well water. The State thereafter initiated an action in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Ocean County, to compel closure of the landfill, which resulted in the installation of a public water supply for the Legler residents and a closure plan presently being implemented.

Defendants move for partial summary judgment dismissing plaintiffs' claims for emotional distress, enhanced risk, cost of medical surveillance in the future and any claim for civil rights violation under 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983. They argue that, from the pleadings and discovery, no genuine issue as to a material fact exists and that none of the claims are cognizable under either State or federal law. R. 4:46-1. The court will accept as true all of the allegations contained in plaintiffs' pleadings and discovery and the medical reports submitted, and will draw all reasonable inferences most favorable to plaintiffs. Judson v. Peoples Bank & Trust Co. of Westfield, 17 N.J. 67, 73-75 (1954).

Enhanced Risk

Plaintiffs allege that they suffer from a present condition of enhanced risk of cancer as well as liver and kidney disease. Their experts will testify as to the presence of approximately three dozen chemicals in the groundwater, including benzene, acetone, chloroform and choloheizene. These substances are known carcinogens or cause liver and kidney injury. Experts will give a toxological profile of each chemical and will make an assessment of the exposure to these chemicals by various age groups, and will give opinions as to the risk enhancement to each of these age groups. Generally, they will testify that all individuals exposed to the well water contamination are at an increased risk of developing cancer and liver and kidney damage. Their risk will vary according to dose, duration and exposure and inherent susceptibility, with children and infants having the highest risk. The experts concede, however, that a quantitative measure of excess cancer, liver and kidney risk cannot be derived. Nowhere do the experts say that, to a degree of reasonable medical probability, any or all of the *567 plaintiffs will suffer from any of these diseases in the future. Plaintiffs argue, however, that medical testimony will establish that plaintiffs' chances of suffering from one of these diseases has been increased as a result of ingestion of these chemicals and that this enhanced risk is a presently existing condition which is a compensable injury.

In order to recover for the alleged negligence of another, plaintiff must plead and prove actual loss or damage. Prosser, Law of Torts, (4 ed. 1971), § 30 at 143. The damage or harm need not be immediate. A plaintiff may recover damages for the prospective consequence of a tortious injury if the "prospective consequence may, in reasonable probability, be expected to flow from the past harm...." Coll v. Sherry, 29 N.J. 166, 175 (1959). Conversely, no recovery can be allowed for possible future consequences of tortious conduct. Budden v. Goldstein, 43 N.J. Super. 340, 346 (App.Div. 1957). "Reasonable probability" has been held to require "... evidence in quality sufficient to generate a belief that the tendered hypothesis is in all human likelihood the fact." Ciuba v. Irvington Varnish & Insulator Co., 27 N.J. 127, 139 (1958). Plaintiffs characterize the increase in the risk of suffering a disease as reasonably probable and, therefore, compensable. But that risk cannot be quantified nor do any of the plaintiffs' experts even attempt to advance an opinion that any of the 325 plaintiffs have or will probably contract any of the diseases. The trier of fact is left to speculate as to the possible consequences of ingestion of the alleged carcinogens and other chemicals to the future health of each plaintiff. Plaintiffs rely upon Schwegel v. Goldberg, 209 Pa.Super. 280, 228 A.2d 405 (Super.Ct. 1967), where enhanced risk of epilepsy was held to be compensable, as well as Lindsay v. Appleby, 91 Ill. App.3d 705, 46 Ill.Dec. 832, 836, 414 N.E.2d 885, 891 (App.Ct.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Melissa Mays v. Governor Rick Snyder
Michigan Supreme Court, 2020
Guinan v. A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children
597 F. Supp. 2d 517 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 2009)
Redland Soccer Club, Inc. v. Department of the Army
696 A.2d 137 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1997)
Boryla v. Pash
937 P.2d 813 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 1997)
Russell v. Steck
851 F. Supp. 859 (N.D. Ohio, 1994)
Day v. NLO
851 F. Supp. 869 (S.D. Ohio, 1994)
Braun v. Township of Mantua
637 A.2d 238 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1993)
Cudone v. Gehret
821 F. Supp. 266 (D. Delaware, 1993)
Marinari v. Asbestos Corp., Ltd.
612 A.2d 1021 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1992)
Gerardi v. Nuclear Utility Services, Inc.
149 Misc. 2d 657 (New York Supreme Court, 1991)
In Re Hawaii Federal Asbestos Cases
734 F. Supp. 1563 (D. Hawaii, 1990)
Woodrow Sterling v. Velsicol Chemical Corporation
855 F.2d 1188 (Sixth Circuit, 1988)
Mauro v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp.
542 A.2d 16 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1988)
Merry v. Westinghouse Electric Corp.
684 F. Supp. 847 (M.D. Pennsylvania, 1988)
Villari v. Terminix International, Inc.
663 F. Supp. 727 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1987)
DeStories v. City of Phoenix
744 P.2d 705 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1987)
Ayers v. Township of Jackson
525 A.2d 287 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1987)
Herber v. Johns-Manville Corporation
785 F.2d 79 (Third Circuit, 1986)
Herber v. Johns-Manville Corp.
785 F.2d 79 (Third Circuit, 1986)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
461 A.2d 184, 189 N.J. Super. 561, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ayers-v-jackson-tp-njsuperctappdiv-1983.