Significant Cases

Landmark Cases

As new partners and associates joined the firm, its private practice expanded to include the representation of injured parties in personal injury, professional malpractice, and products liability cases. In 1978, the firm brought the first and one of the largest toxic tort cases on behalf of several hundred people against Jackson Township. That litigation resulted in a jury verdict of more than $15 million. Today, it is still the Supreme Court's seminal case on the type of damages recoverable from exposure to toxic chemicals [Ayers v. Jackson, 1987].

Another high-profile case involved a contract between WZBN, the local cable television station, and TKR, the station's parent company. Acting as co-counsel for WZBN, Arnold Lakind fought the station's attempt to relegate the local news show to off hours, cut its broadcast time and replace it with a Fox news feed. Elected officials and the young station's fans staged high-decibel demonstrations against TKR's plan while the two attorneys fought it out with TKR in court. Late last year, both sides signed a settlement that will enable the popular station to stay on the air and expand its local news program.

Steve Blader, head of the personal injury and products liability practice, is proud of Szaferman Lakind's role in helping to remove several dangerous products from the market. Blader filed the first case in New Jersey against the makers of L-tryptophan, the dietary supplement that was supposed to relax people. Instead, a contaminated batch killed the wife of one client and resulted in grave health problems for several others. Blader was able to collect several million dollars on behalf of the victims.

In another well known product liability case, an action against Deputy Inc., a company that manufactured defective hip replacements, Blader won substantial damages for clients. He notes with satisfaction that many New Jersey landlords have removed lead paint from their properties as a result of his personal campaign against this toxic substance.

Szaferman, Lakind, Blumstein, & Blader, P.C.
Committed to Excellence