Court Opinion

ID: 9639138
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 16:05:42.041848+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:12.952020
License: Public Domain

O’HERN, J.,
concurring.
I concur in the opinion and judgment of the Court because it correctly resolves the only, issues that are before us. There is no necessity then in the circumstances of this case, that we revisit Soronen v. Olde Milford Inn, Inc., 46 N.J. 582 (1966), as Justice Handler's concurrence suggests.
Should we be called upon to revisit Soronen, I believe that we will want to consider whether our evolving common law needs a course-correction in light of the legislative changes in principles of contributory negligence. See Renz v. Penn Central Corp., 87 N.J. 437, 460-61 (1981) (railroad’s statutory immunity modified by comparative negligence principles).
In a self-governing society, law derives much of its normative force from acceptance and understanding of the justness of its principles. It is difficult to explain how it occurs that possibly the most blameworthy person in an incident involving tavern liability can be immunized from any responsibility for injuries that person might suffer. Put another way, we must ask ourselves what sort of legal system would assess fault against Mrs. Buckley, possibly the most innocent of all involved in this tragic episode, while insulating the other passengers from such responsibility because of their drinking.
I can accept the policy of Soronen that could not tolerate the harshness of the doctrine of contributory negligence that would *83cause the claim of a 1% negligent patron to be dismissed while excusing of all responsibility a tavern 99% at fault. I am less ready to accept that a 40% negligent patron should not bear some responsibility for the events in light of current principles of comparative negligence.
One of the goals of law is to influence the conduct of those who contribute to cause harm. I believe that goal will be advanced if we reconsider the appropriateness of allowing fact-finders to evaluate in some degree the fault of tavern patrons when that fault is a contributing cause of their injury.
Justice GARIBALDI joins in this opinion.