Property owners are responsible to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition for others who may lawfully be on their property. Persons who are injured in a slip and fall on dangerously unsafe property should be able to recover compensation from the responsible property owner. However, New York premises liability law can be surprisingly complex, and property owners and their insurers try many ways to avoid liability. The Lambrou Law Firm handles slip and fall cases throughout New York City and statewide and will fight to get you the compensation you need after a serious injury on another’s unsafe property.
Slips and falls can result in strains, sprains, muscle tears and other soft tissue injuries. These injuries are often traumatic and painful and can take weeks or more to heal, with the injury victim’s mobility, function and quality of life severely restricted in the meantime. Some slips and falls can be considerably more serious, involving any of the following:
Fractures – Slip and fall victims are prone to broken bones in the wrists or ankles. Hip fractures from a fall, particularly for the elderly, are sometimes so serious the victim never fully recovers.
Head and Brain Injuries – Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to the Mayo Clinic.
Neck, Back and Spine Injuries – A broken back or neck can require surgery to repair, including months in traction or the fusing of vertebrae, often leading to permanent disability. If the spinal cord is bruised or cut, the slip and fall victim may experience permanent paralysis such as paraplegia, quadriplegia or cauda equina syndrome.
Facial Scarring – A serious fall on pavement or other surfaces can leave the victim with permanent scarring or disfigurement, which can impact psychological health, quality of life, employability and many other aspects of daily living.
Wrongful Death – Falls account for about 15% of all injury-related deaths.
In general, property owners owe a duty of reasonable care to persons on their property. This duty generally includes the responsibility to fix any known danger or to put up a warning to visitors about the hazard. Business owners may also have a duty to periodically inspect their property to discover any spills, tripping hazards or other defects, and to promptly remedy them.
Property owners may be liable for unsafe conditions that they themselves caused or created, or for conditions which they did not create but nevertheless knew about or should have known about. Nevertheless, property owners will try to avoid liability by claiming they did not have a reasonable amount of time to discover and fix the condition before the accident occurred. They may also claim that the victim’s own negligence caused the accident because they were not watching where they were going. Insurance companies may even dispute that victims were really as seriously injured as they claim. Attorneys at the Lambrou Law Firm understand how to properly investigate a slip and fall accident and how to build a strong case that proves the owner’s negligence and the nature and extent of the victim’s injuries. The legal team at the Lambrou Law Firm handles New York slip and fall cases arising in a number of circumstances, including:
Additionally, the firm is prepared to take on the city for dangerous conditions related to sidewalks and curbs, subway platforms and stairs, getting on and off a city bus, etc. New York has a different process and a short time frame to pursue claims against municipalities, so make sure you hire a knowledgeable and experienced New York slip and fall attorney to help you with your premises liability claim.
For help after a serious slip and fall injury in New York, including catastrophic injuries, call the Lambrou Law Firm at 212-285-2100 for a free consultation with a dedicated and experienced New York slip and fall attorney.