New York City
Slip and Fall lawyer

New York City is a place where hazards can appear around any corner, making slip and fall accidents a common reality for those who live and work here. Whether it is a puddle in a subway station, a patch of ice on a Queens sidewalk, or a spilled drink in a crowded Manhattan restaurant, these risks are part of daily life in such a high-traffic environment. When property owners in the five boroughs fail to keep their premises safe, the danger to the public increases significantly. Choosing a New York City slip, trip, and fall lawyer is an important step in addressing the injuries that often follow these preventable events.

A fall takes only a second, but the physical damage from hitting the pavement or a hard floor can last for years or even result in permanent disability. You will likely find that insurance companies and property owners are quick to point the finger at the victim rather than taking responsibility for their own negligence. They often try to claim you were not looking where you were going to avoid paying what they owe. The Silbowitz Firm is a personal injury practice with a deep understanding of New York premises liability and a history of helping clients get their lives back on track.

At The Silbowitz Firm, we stand up for victims to ensure they receive the payment they need to cover their losses. Falling down can lead to a mountain of medical debt and weeks of missed paychecks, which is a burden no one should have to carry because of someone else’s mistake. If this has happened to you, you deserve to have a legal team that holds the right people accountable. You can reach our office at (646) 419-5344 or reach out to us through our website to set up a time to talk about what happened.

The insurance adjusters for the other side may call you soon after the accident to offer a small settlement that does not cover your long-term needs. Working with a legal team that knows how the New York court system operates is a way to protect your interests and pursue a settlement that is actually fair.

Understanding Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents in New York

When you trip or slip because a property was not kept in a safe condition, you are experiencing a slip and fall accident. These cases are handled under the umbrella of premises liability law in New York. We see these accidents happen frequently when:

• Floors are mopped or waxed but no warning signs are put out for pedestrians
• Stairwells have loose railings or steps that are cracked and uneven
• Parking lots or apartment hallways do not have enough working lights
• Sidewalks are broken or have significant height differences between slabs
• Store aisles are blocked by boxes, trash, or restocking equipment
• Rugs are not secured properly or carpets are torn and bunch up

Accidents involving falls happen in every setting imaginable, from the workplace to public parks, usually because of a lack of maintenance or a failure to fix a known problem.

New York law requires property owners to keep their space in a reasonably safe condition for anyone legally allowed to be there. This means they must fix hazards they know about or should have known about through regular inspections. If they fail to do this, they have breached their duty of care. Proving this negligence is the foundation of your legal claim.

Where Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen in New York City?

A fall can happen anywhere, but our firm sees them most often in certain high-traffic New York locations:

• Local supermarkets and bodegas
• Large shopping centers and retail stores
• Apartment buildings and multi-family housing
• City sidewalks and subway platforms
• Office towers in Midtown and Lower Manhattan
• Sports stadiums and concert halls
• Neighborhood bars and cafes

The location of your fall changes how we approach the case. If you fall on a sidewalk maintained by the City of New York, the rules are much stricter than if you fall inside a private store. For a claim against a government entity, you generally only have 90 days to file a Notice of Claim, whereas the standard statute of limitations for personal injury in New York is three years. Because these timelines are so different, knowing exactly where you fell is one of the first things we look at.

Who’s Responsible for a Slip, Trip, and Fall Injury?

Determining who should pay for your injuries involves looking at who had control over the property. Responsible parties might include:

• Commercial or residential property owners
• Landlords and building managers
• Global retail chains or small business owners
• The City of New York or state agencies
• Companies hired to perform cleaning or maintenance
• Organizations hosting special events

If you are visiting a friend’s apartment and trip over a broken floorboard in the hallway, the landlord is likely the one at fault for failing to maintain the common areas. However, if the hazard was inside your friend’s actual apartment and they created it, the situation changes. Every case has its own set of facts that determine who is legally at fault.

Proving Liability

Just because you were injured on someone else’s property does not mean they automatically owe you money. To win your case, we have to show:

• The person in charge knew about the hazard or the hazard existed for a long enough time that they should have found it
• They did not fix the problem or warn you that it was there
• The hazard was the actual cause of your fall and subsequent injuries

We have to prove that the owner was negligent in their duties. For example, if a landlord ignores a leaking pipe for a week and you slip on the resulting puddle, they are likely liable. If a customer drops a bottle of water and you slip on it three seconds later, the store might argue they did not have a reasonable amount of time to see and clean it. This is why gathering evidence quickly is so important. A New York City slip, trip, and fall attorney can help find camera footage or witness statements to prove how long a hazard was present.

Premises Liability and Property Owner Negligence

Success in a lawsuit depends on showing that the owner acted negligently. This often looks like:

• Forgetting to clean up a spill that was reported by a customer
• Seeing a broken step and leaving it that way for months
• Turning off lights in a stairwell to save money, leaving it dark and dangerous
• Not using “wet floor” signs after cleaning

Owners are expected to take reasonable steps to prevent guests from getting hurt. When they fall short of this standard, they are responsible for the damage that follows.

Slip and Fall Cases Involving Businesses and Landlords

Businesses have a legal obligation to keep their premises safe for the public. This applies to everyone from the smallest coffee shop to the largest department store. Common issues in these settings include:

• Liquid leaking from refrigerated cases in grocery stores
• Rainwater being tracked into a lobby without mats being placed down
• Debris left in the aisles by employees
• Uneven flooring or loose tiles

In apartment buildings, landlords are responsible for making sure the infrastructure like stairs and elevators is safe. If you are going through a difficult recovery after a fall in your own building or at a shop, a lawyer can help you seek the money you need for medical care.

What If You Were Partly at Fault?

New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule. This is good news for victims because it means you can still recover compensation even if you played a role in the accident. For example, if you were walking through a store and slipped on a patch of leaked detergent, but the store proves you were looking at your phone when it happened, a jury might decide you were 30 percent responsible.

In this scenario, if your total damages are $100,000, you would still receive $70,000. Your final check is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. This is much better than the laws in some other states that block you from getting anything if you were even slightly to blame. We work to keep your percentage of fault as low as possible to maximize what you take home.

Damages in Fall Cases

The money you receive in a settlement or court award is meant to compensate you for everything you lost. This includes:

• Bills from the hospital and emergency room
• Costs for surgery, physical therapy, and follow-up visits
• Money you lost because you could not go to work
• The loss of future income if you can no longer do your job
• Compensation for the physical pain and emotional stress you endured
• Reimbursement for any property that was damaged during the fall

How to File a Slip and Fall Lawsuit in New York City

While the legal system can feel overwhelming when you are trying to heal, the process generally follows a specific path that your legal team will handle for you:

• Consultation: You talk with Mitchell Silbowitz or another attorney to see if you have a case.
• Investigation: We look at the scene, get the accident report, and talk to experts.
• Filing: We start the formal legal process by filing a complaint against the negligent party.
• Negotiation: We talk to the insurance company to try and get a settlement that covers your bills.

Most of our cases are taken on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid if we win money for you. If we cannot reach a fair agreement through talking, we are prepared to take the case to trial to make sure a jury hears your story.

Why Hire Our New York City Slip and Fall Attorneys?

The Silbowitz Firm is dedicated to the people of New York. Mitchell Silbowitz has been fighting for injury victims since 1989 and has successfully handled more than 1,000 cases. Our experience covers everything from car accidents to complex construction site falls across New York City, Long Island, and beyond. When you work with us, you get:

• A free evaluation of your case with no strings attached
• Representation where you pay no legal fees unless we win your case
• Regular updates on your case and clear answers to your questions
• A team that knows how to go up against big insurance companies and win

If a property owner’s laziness has left you injured, you should not be the one paying the price. We take care of the paperwork and the fighting so you can focus on your health.

Contact us today at (646) 419-5344 to schedule your free consultation. We are ready to help you start the process of moving forward.