279 N.J. Super. 5 (1995) 652 A.2d 178 DAVID BAHRLE, IDA BAHRLE, MICHAEL BAHRLE, WILLIAM BAHRLE, STEVEN BAHRLE, PATRICIA BAHRLE, KYLE BAHRLE, KAREN BENHAM, MICHAEL BENHAM, CARLEY BENHAM, MICHAEL BENHAM, KENNETH BERGMANN, JASON BERGMANN, DONNA BERGMANN, MICHAEL BERGMANN, CAROLE BRILLY, KATHLEEN BRILLY, MAY BETH BRILLY, PATRICK BRILLY, PATRICIA BRILLY, RUTH CERVASIO, THOMAS CERVASIO, TAMMY CLAYTON, BRYAN CLAYTON, NICOLE CLAYTON, SEAN CLAYTON, BRYAN CLAYTON, HILLARY DONOHUE, ROBERT DONOHUE, DAWN DONOHUE, MERRILEE DONOHUE, TIFFANY DONOHUE, DOROTHY FORTUS, STEPHEN FORTUS, DEBRA FORTUS, SHERRY FRICK, THOMAS FRICK, ATRINA FRICK, DAVID GALLINA, ELLEN GALLINA, KAREN GALLINA, KRISTINE GALLINA, ANDREW GLATZ, BERTHA GLATZ, FREDERICK GLATZ, PAUL GLATZ, CHERYL HEDBERG, JOHN HEDBERG, MICHELE HEDBERG, NORA HENNESSEY, MARIE HOWELY, ELEN KLEIN, JOSEPH KLEIN, PATRICIA KLEIN, THERESA KLEIN, DALE KNOTT, DENISE KNOTT, IRENE KNOTT, GEORGE LEARY, III, JUDITH LEARY, SEAN LEARY, TARA SCANLON LEARY, JEAN LUZETSKY, JOHN LUZETSKY, ROBERT LUZETSKY, JANENE LUZETSKY, ELENOR MCCORRY, MICHAEL MANGAN, SR., ELAINE MANGAN, MICHAEL MANGAN, JR., TARYN MANGAN, WILLIAM MANGAN, JR., JUDITH MANGAN, CHRISTOPHER MANGAN, WILLIAM MANGAN, III, NOAH MANGAN, PATRICK MANGAN, WILLIAM MANGAN, SR., GRACE MANGAN, PETER MANGAN, ELLEN MARANO, SALVATORE MARANO, DORIS MEEHAN, JAMES MEEHAN, MICHAEL METELSKY, ANITA O'BRIEN, THOMAS O'BRIEN, SR., CHARLES OBRZUT, STELLA OBRZUT, LUCILLE PETERS, HELMUTH PETERS, CHRISTINE PETERSON, ROBERT PETERSON, CATHLEEN PETRIN, NICHOLAS PETRIN, STEFFANY PETRIN, TIMOTHY PETRIN, JOAN PONTICELLO, MATTHEW PONTICELLO, RENE PONTICELLO, TINA PONTICELLO, CATHRYN POPP, GENE SANTUCCI, JUDITH SANTUCCI, DIANE SANTUCCI, JOSEPH SANTUCCI, MICHAEL SANTUCCI, THERESA SANTUCCI, TIMOTHY SANTUCCI, EDWARD SCANLON, HEATHER SCANLON, CHAD SCANLON, DREW SCANLON, DIEDRE SCANLON, JAMES SMITH, MARGARET SMITH, MARIE SMITH, DONNA SMITH, RICHARD SPAFFORD, SUSAN SPAFFORD, RICHARD SPAFFORD, JR., RONALD SPAFFORD, WENDY SPAFFORD, PATRICIA VANDERKAM, CHRISTOPHER VANDERKAM, MARK VANDERKAM, EDWARD VANDERKAM, LYNN VANDERKAM, BENJAMIN WEDEKIND, FRANK WEDEKIND, KEVIN WEDEKIND, MARY WEDEKIND, KENT WEDEKIND, ELIZABETH BETZ, LAWRENCE BETZ, WILLIAM MAGYARITS, CAROL McMAHON, PATRICK McMAHON, HAZEL PETERSON, JOSEPH PINO, LINDA PINO, ANGELA PINO, JOSEPH PINO, ANGELA RIZZO, ANTHONY RIZZO, CHRISTINE RIZZO, JOAN RIZZO, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS,
v.
EXXON CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY DOING BUSINESS AS EXXON CO., USA; TEXACO CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE; RICHARD E. RITCHIE AND SUSAN M. RITCHIE, TRADING AS LACEY EXXON; CHARLOTTE W. RULE AND THE ESTATE OF DONALD W. RULE, T/A RULE'S SERVICE STATION, DEFENDANTS-RESPONDENTS, AND KALSCH-FORTE OIL CO., INC., A/K/A K-FORTE OIL CO., A CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY; "JOHN DOE" DEFENDANTS B THROUGH Z; "JOHN DOE" DEFENDANTS 1 THROUGH 10; "JOHN ROE" DEFENDANTS B THROUGH Z; "JOHN ROE" DEFENDANTS 1 THROUGH 10, DEFENDANTS. Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.
Argued October 24, 1994. Decided January 9, 1995. *14 Before Judges PETRELLA, HAVEY and BROCHIN.
*15 Alan H. Sklarsky argued the cause for appellants (Tomar, Simonoff, Adourian & O'Brien and Carl J. Valore, attorneys; Michael S. Rothmel, of counsel and on the brief).
Robert T. Lehman argued the cause for respondent Exxon Corporation (Archer & Greiner, attorneys; Debra S. Rosen, on the brief).
David P. Schneider argued the cause for respondents Richard and Susan Ritchie (Bressler, Amery & Ross, attorneys; Mr. Schneider, on the brief).
James