Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Orzech v. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON Case Brief

New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division2009Docket #1874310
985 A.2d 189 411 N.J. Super. 198

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: A university was sued for negligence after an intoxicated student fell from his dorm window. The court held the university was immune from suit under the Charitable Immunity Act, finding the student was still a “beneficiary” of its educational works despite his and the university’s violations of its alcohol policy.

Legal Significance: A charitable organization’s simple negligence in performing its charitable works, or a plaintiff’s own contributory negligence, does not strip the plaintiff of their “beneficiary” status for purposes of the Charitable Immunity Act.

Orzech v. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Keith Orzech, a 21-year-old student and resident advisor (RA) at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), hosted a party in his fourth-floor dormitory suite. The party involved underage drinking, grain alcohol, and drinking games, all in violation of FDU’s alcohol policy. Orzech became severely intoxicated, with a post-mortem blood alcohol content of 0.166%. Sometime after being helped to bed, he fell from his window and died. His estate sued FDU for wrongful death, alleging FDU was negligent in its alcohol policy and its failure to enforce it, particularly as its Public Safety department was allegedly lax. The trial court denied FDU’s claim of charitable immunity, reasoning that the mutual violations of the alcohol policy meant FDU was not performing its charitable works and Orzech was not a beneficiary at the time of the incident. A jury found FDU and Orzech equally negligent. FDU appealed the denial of immunity.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a university’s negligent enforcement of its alcohol policy, and a student’s concurrent violation of that policy, negate the student’s status as a beneficiary of the university’s educational works for purposes of immunity under the New Jersey Charitable Immunity Act?

Yes. The university’s negligent failure to enforce its alcohol policy and the Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamc

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Legal Issue

Does a university’s negligent enforcement of its alcohol policy, and a student’s concurrent violation of that policy, negate the student’s status as a beneficiary of the university’s educational works for purposes of immunity under the New Jersey Charitable Immunity Act?

Conclusion

This case solidifies that the charitable immunity analysis focuses on the claimant's Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nos

Legal Rule

Under the New Jersey Charitable Immunity Act, N.J.S.A. 2A:53A-7, a nonprofit educational Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit e

Legal Analysis

The court reversed the trial court, holding that FDU was entitled to Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Du

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I object!... to how much coffee I need to function during finals.

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