The Law Offices of Lawrence B. Saftler 646.248.5032
New York's Personal Injury Attorney

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New York City Sidewalk Trip and Fall Law – An Accident Lawyer Explains Your Rights

If you live in New York City and trip and fall on a sidewalk, the law protects you if the sidewalk was dangerous or poorly maintained. However, the New York City law covering sidewalk fall injuries changed on September 15, 2003. If your injury occurred on or after that date, your legal rights are different from what they would have been previously. The information below is meant to give you up-to-date information concerning the rights of people in New York who trip and fall on any sidewalk. Contact accident lawyer Lawrence B. Saftler today for more detailed information about how the new law affects your particular case.

New York City Trip and Fall Law Continues to Protect You

Under the current law, legal liability for a New York City sidewalk fall and related injuries has shifted from the city, to the owners of property adjoining sidewalks where such accidents take place. This makes property owners liable for all sidewalk defects – such as potholes, cracks, and raised and uneven sidewalks – that could cause New York City residents to trip and fall. The law also stipulates that in addition to repairing these problems, owners are responsible for keeping sidewalks free of snow, ice, and trash, as well as for any other routine maintenance that would logically prevent accidents from happening.

For most people in New York City who trip and fall on a sidewalk, the law continues to guarantee legal recourse. The main difference is that lawsuits are now filed chiefly against private defendants rather than the city itself. For people in New York City who have suffered a sidewalk fall since September 15, 2003, this change may have positive implications. Private insurers, for instance, tend to pay higher settlements than the city. Additionally, lawsuits usually proceed more quickly when they involve private insurers rather than public entities. This could result in your receiving a larger sum in a shorter amount of time and with less stress than under the old law.

Sidewalk Fall Accidents – Are You Always Covered?

Some of the changes introduced by the new law could make it difficult for a victim of a New York City sidewalk fall to seek financial compensation in certain situations. For example, because liability now falls almost entirely on private entities, an accident occurring on a sidewalk adjoining un-owned land – a vacant lot or an abandoned tenement, for example – would probably not be covered legally. Additionally, although the current law requires that property owners in New York City obtain insurance covering sidewalk falls, they may not always have done so. In the event owners are unable to provide financial compensation, the city unfortunately does not assume liability, and the victim may receive nothing. While such situations are exceptional, they are possibilities under the current law that you should be aware of.

Contact Trip and Fall Accident Lawyer Lawrence B. Saftler

If you live in New York City and have experienced a sidewalk trip and fall accident recently, lawyer Lawrence B. Saftler can provide excellent information regarding your rights. After discussing the facts of the incident and the nature of your injury with you, he will be able to determine whether you may be entitled to financial compensation. Contact our office to speak with Lawrence B. Saftler for expert advice from a distinguished New York trip and fall accident lawyer, and learn exactly what you're entitled to today.

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If you live in New York City and suffer a sidewalk trip and fall accident, the law protects you. Contact lawyer Lawrence B. Saftler to understand your legal rights.

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