Understanding Slip and Fall Accident Liability in New York

People fall and hurt themselves every day in New York City, many times because property and business owners ignore safety standards, codes, laws, and guidelines. If you suffered an injury as a result of slipping or tripping and falling on public property, school, or business, you may wonder if you have rights in a personal injury claim. If someone else’s negligence caused your injury, you may be entitled to compensation for medical care expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. Examples of negligence leading to a fall or accident could be:

• A neglected hazard (such as bad maintenance, or unattended wet and slippery surfaces)
• Obvious potential for a hazard (such as a huge pothole or missing signage)
• Obvious carelessness of a property owner (insufficient safety protocols or poor lighting).

If you trespassed and went past “authorized personnel only” sign and suffered an injury, you may not have a claim. Every accident is different with unique facts and circumstances. These cases can be very complex. A successful personal injury claim will establish the property owner’s liability, and that you suffered an injury. A skilled and knowledgeable New York premises liability lawyer with experience handling slip and fall accidents can help you preserve important evidence and prepare your case.

The “Reasonable Care” Standard

In order to be deemed negligent, and liable, in a slip and fall case, the property owner must have failed to act as a reasonable person would have acted. Examples of failing to act as a reasonable person would have acted could be:

• Failing to clean up water leaking from pipes or air conditioners
• Failing to pick up discarded food items on a floor
• Polishing a floor with chemicals that leave it extremely slippery
• Not properly installing carpet or flooring
• Allowing sidewalk cracks unprepared to create dangerous hazards.

Contact New York slip and fall accident lawyer Michael J. Redenburg today. We will review your accident, including medical records and insurance policy information, and determine how your injuries have affected you and what your case may be worth. We will also answer your questions, and explain your legal rights and options, should you wish you pursue compensation in a claim. If we represent you, we will not charge any fees unless we recover money for you.