New York City Premises Liability Lawyer
New York City streets are lined with building after restaurant after retail store. Construction goes on day and night, scaffolds are so common that we barely notice them. Sidewalks and crosswalks are torn open by contractors to access to underground pipes and cables. Trucks roll up and over over sidewalks to deliver all manner of goods and material, and busy commercial parking lots run thousands of tons of vehicles over sidewalk ramps daily. As you go about your daily routine, you probably overlook the enormous toll this commerce takes on the walkways of our city. Most landlords do a good job fulfilling their duty to repair the damage their businesses cause, but it is not uncommon to encounter danger.
It only takes one defect and a split second for you slip, trip, and fall, suffering an injury at the hand of a negligent property owner or manager. If you are the victim of a defective sidewalk, ramp, crosswalk or other hazardous condition caused by on someone else’s negligence, turn to a prominent, experienced premises liability lawyer in New York City.
Offering experienced premises liability legal counsel
The Law Office of John O’Gara, Esq., PC offers experienced, compassionate representation for clients who have been injured by the carelessness, negligence, or wrongdoing of others. We know premises liability lawsuits in New York City because we’ve tirelessly litigated them. The New York City Building Code, The Administrative Code of the City of New York, and the General Municipal law all interplay with negligence law in New York City. Trust an attorney with the experience and proven track record of results in cases of injury caused by:
- Failure to properly remove snow and ice from sidewalks
- Contractor failure to repair crosswalks and sidewalks after opening them or damaging them during construction
- Crack and holes in sidewalks and crosswalks
- Dangers caused by wear and tear on sidewalk by vehicular traffic
- Inadequate lighting in parking lots
- Danger to pedestrians from overhead construction, scaffolds and sheds
- Failure to conduct routine maintenance
A slip and fall accident is often considered routine, and does not bring to mind images of great suffering. Most of us have fallen at one time or another due to a sidewalk defect and suffered only minor injury and a bruised ego. Sometimes the victim is not so fortunate. A slip or trip and fall injury can cause very serious injuries and devastating economic damage, in medical bills and lost wages from employment. Most premises in New York City are well insured. Yet some who would not hesitate to sue a driver who struck them in a crosswalk are more hesitant to sue for a trip and fall incident. Premises liability protections were created to hold negligent property owners and managers responsible for compensating those injured due to their negligent actions or inaction. The main reason New York City has to suffer poorly maintained sidewalks and walkways is conscious negligence by landlords, a decision to forego safety to save a few dollars in labor or material. We believe that the best way to ensure safe walkways is to pursue parties who are responsible for the damage but refuse to repair it.
How does premises liability work?
Circumstances vary from case to case, but the owner, possessor or manager of a property is usually legally liable if you sustain an injury, while on their property or the sidewalk abutting their property, due a hazard that could have been avoided or remedied by responsible property maintenance and management. We turn that liability into a favorable verdict or settlement on your behalf. Leave the work to us. You will not have an extensive role in the litigation of the case. You’ll give us the details as to what happened and how, and at some point later in the case may be required to give testimony at our office as to what happened to you. We will investigate the accident and take photos or video of the defect or hazard. We’ll conduct a search with the appropriate agencies for past safety violations, and where appropriate, for permits to open the sidewalk, erect scaffolding, or otherwise damage the street. With our experience, we can often find conclusive evidence of the origin of the defect. Evidence of the cause of the defect is often the smoking gun in a premises liability case, leading straight to a common sense finding of liability against the party responsible for the hazard. Sometimes we can settle a case with the landlord’s insurance company at the very outset. If not, we have the expertise to litigate the case and win a favorable verdict. Defense lawyers and their insurance companies know John O’Gara as an attorney that will take the case to trial and take a verdict. That knowledge often leads to more fruitful negotiations at the outset.
Contact John O’Gara for a free initial consultation
The Law Office of John O’Gara, Esq., PC believes injuries due to property owner/manager negligence should be aggressively pursued. If you believe you have suffered a premises liability injury in New York City, contact John O’Gara.
