Widow of N.J. firefighter killed in cliff fall while biking settles lawsuit for $375K – NJ.com

The widow of a Paterson firefighter killed when he plunged off a cliff while mountain biking in Essex County five years ago has settled her lawsuit for $375,000, according to court documents.

Kerry James Rivera, 50, died June 26, 2017, after the bike he was riding fell 20 feet off a cliff in a wooded area near the Cedar Grove Reservoir in Essex County.

In 2019, his wife Rena Rivera filed suit against the township and county, claiming that although her husband lost control of his bike, he plummeted “off an unguarded and unsecured cliff to his demise.”

The gross negligence lawsuit claimed local police, park employees and others employed by the county and town knew or should have known the existence of the “unreasonably hazardous, defective condition” through regular inspections.

Essex County officials had claimed in court papers that Rivera was partly to blame for his own death by assuming “the risk inherent in the activity (he) engaged in.”

Out of the settlement amount, Rivera’s lawyers received about $135,000 in fees and costs. Rena Rivera received a net settlement of nearly $240,000, according to court documents.

A spokesman for Essex County on Wednesday declined to comment on the settlement. Cedar Grove officials did not respond to a request for comment.

At the time of his death, Kerry Rivera had been a member of the Paterson Fire Department for 13 years. He and his wife had been married for 25 years and had three children together.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.