When the Jersey Shore Turns Dangerous: Holding Property Owners Accountable for Premises Liability
New Jersey law is clear: property owners and businesses have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for those who visit.
For generations, the Jersey Shore has been our state’s summer heartbeat. Families head “down the Shore” for boardwalk pizza, late-night rides, and days spent on the sand. Tourists pour in from New York, Pennsylvania, and beyond. Seasonal rentals fill up, small businesses boom, and our coastal towns thrive.
As another summer ends, we need to reflect that, amid the fun, there is a harder reality we don’t like to talk about: the Shore can also be dangerous. Every summer, people are injured in preventable accidents—slipping on unmaintained boardwalks, falling on broken steps in rental houses, being hurt on amusement rides, or tripping in poorly lit parking lots.
Too often, these injuries aren’t just “bad luck.” They’re the result of property owners and businesses cutting corners when it comes to safety.
The Legal Duty of Care
New Jersey law is clear: property owners and businesses have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for those who visit. That includes fixing dangerous conditions, warning of hazards, and making sure high-traffic areas—like boardwalks, bars, and rental homes—meet safety standards.
This isn’t about holding owners to an impossible standard. Accidents happen, of course. But when a landlord knows that a deck railing is loose, or when a shop owner ignores a wet Xoor without a sign, the
law requires accountability. Negligence isn’t an abstract concept—it’s what happens when people who should know better look the other way.
The Seasonal Pressure Problem
The Jersey Shore is unique because it runs on a seasonal economy. Businesses and property owners know they have a few short months to maximize profits. That pressure can lead to shortcuts. A landlord rents a house without fixing broken stairs. A boardwalk vendor skips regular inspections. An amusement operator rushes a ride back into service without proper maintenance.
The result is predictable: avoidable injuries. And when those injuries happen, victims often find themselves facing not only physical pain but also medical bills, lost wages, and long-term consequences.
The Tourist Factor
Tourists make the Shore thrive, but they also face special challenges when accidents occur. Many are unfamiliar with New Jersey law, or they assume it’s too complicated to pursue a claim from out of state. Businesses know this, and some rely on it.
But New Jersey courts are clear: if negligence causes an injury here, victims have the right to hold the responsible parties accountable—whether they live in Asbury Park or Albany. Premises liability doesn’t stop at the state line.
Lessons from the Courts
New Jersey has seen numerous cases that highlight just how seriously our courts take premises liability. From falls on icy walkways to accidents in commercial parking lots, judges and juries consistently recognize that the duty to maintain safe premises is not optional.
This is particularly important at the Shore, where so much of the economy depends on inviting the public into homes, hotels, and businesses. When you invite people in, you take on the responsibility of keeping them safe.
A Call for Safer Summers
As a lifelong New Jerseyan and as a lawyer, I want the Shore to remain a place of joy, not of injury. That requires more than just lawsuits after the fact. It requires a cultural shift among property owners and businesses to view safety as a responsibility, not a cost center.
That means landlords inspecting their rentals before the season begins, not after tenants complain. It means ride operators sticking to strict inspection schedules, even when the line is long. It means businesses treating tourists with the same duty of care as year-round residents.
The truth is, the Shore’s reputation is part of New Jersey’s reputation. When preventable injuries pile up, it doesn’t just hurt the victims—it hurts the trust that families place in our towns, our boardwalks, and our economy.
What Victims Should Know
For those who are injured, the path forward can feel overwhelming. But victims should know:
- New Jersey law is on their side
- Property owners and businesses carry insurance for these very situations
- Seeking accountability is not just about one person’s injury—it’s about preventing the same harm from happening to someone else
The Shore is supposed to be a place where memories are made, not where lives are upended. Premises liability law exists to make sure property owners live up to their responsibilities.
The Shore We Deserve
Every summer, families will keep heading “down the Shore.” They deserve to know that the steps they climb, the decks they sit on, the rides their kids enjoy, and the walkways they cross are safe. That is not too much to ask.
New Jersey law says it’s not too much to ask. And as a community, we should demand nothing less.
Frank A. Gaudio is a partner at Miller & Gaudio in Red Bank. For more than 40 years, he has
represented clients in complex personal injury and premises liability cases across the state.
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