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Slip and Fall Accident Attorney in NYC
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A fall on a wet store floor or a cracked sidewalk can change an ordinary day in seconds, and the days that follow rarely get simpler. You are hurt, the bills start arriving, and you are not certain whether what happened is anyone’s fault but your own. For many injured New Yorkers, the first real question is whether a New York slip and fall lawyer can help them recover what the fall has cost.
Medical costs and lost wages add up while you are still healing. A settlement offer can arrive before anyone knows how long your recovery will take, and evidence does not wait. Surveillance footage gets recorded over, maintenance records get buried, and the filing deadline keeps running whether or not you have called anyone.
Cerchione Hurowitz Law Group represents injured people in slip-and-fall and premises cases throughout the five boroughs. We build these claims the way they hold up in New York by proving a dangerous condition, showing the owner had notice, and applying the rules that decide who is responsible. When an owner or insurer pushes back, our litigation-ready resources keep the pressure on as we pursue compensation for what the fall cost you.
Why Injured New Yorkers Choose Cerchione Hurowitz Law Group for Slip and Fall Cases
Deciding who should handle your slip-and-fall case is its own kind of pressure, especially while you deal with an injury and the costs that follow. Most people in that position want the same things: a clear read on whether they have a case, someone to carry the legal work, and a firm that will not go quiet on them. We built our slip-and-fall practice around those expectations.
Litigation-Ready Resources for Hard-Fought NYC Premises Cases
New York City property owners and their insurers tend to contest slip-and-fall claims hard, often disputing whether they had notice of the hazard or blaming the injured person. We are structured to absorb that pressure. Our resources let us investigate through surveillance footage and maintenance records and take a case through litigation when a fair resolution is not on the table.
Four Generations Serving Injured New Yorkers
Our work is grounded in a family legal lineage that spans four generations of New York personal injury practice. For clients, that shows up in how we communicate and stay reachable. We keep you informed as your case moves forward through an automated text-message system and a Client Relations Team that can help you connect with medical providers.
Client Testimonials
“I had an excellent experience working with Cerchione Hurowitz Law Group. From the very beginning, they were professional, knowledgeable, and responsive. They took the time to explain the process clearly and kept me informed every step of the way. I truly felt supported and confident that my case was in good hands. I highly recommend them to anyone in need of legal representation.” — Lauren M.
“Mr. Huttner helped me when another law firm gave up on my case. I wish I came to Cerchione Hurowitz before the other guys, but after 6 years, I am just happy I found them and and can move on with my life! Thank you!!” — Tai W.
“I’ve had a great experience with Cerchione Hurowitz Law Group so far. From the beginning, my assigned team has been professional, helpful, and attentive to my case. I receive updates regularly and any questions or concerns I have are always addressed in a timely manner. What I appreciate most is that they truly make me feel like my case matters and that I’m not just another client. The staff is kind, knowledgeable, and dedicated to helping their clients through every step of the process. I highly recommend this firm to anyone looking for a personal injury law firm that genuinely cares about their clients.” — Shaminta P.
Meet Your NYC Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers
What Counts as a Slip and Fall Accident in New York City
A slip and fall, along with a trip and fall, is a type of premises liability claim, which holds a property owner accountable when an unsafe condition causes an injury. These claims sit within the broader category of premises accidents we handle citywide.
Falls happen everywhere, from store and bodega floors to apartment lobbies, stairwells, transit stairs, parking lots, and public sidewalks. A fall usually traces back to a condition the owner could have addressed, such as the following:
- Wet or freshly mopped floors with no warning sign
- Ice and snow left on walkways and entrances
- Broken, uneven, or poorly lit stairs
- Cracked or raised sidewalk flags
- Loose mats, rugs, and electrical cords
Some of these conditions carry their own rules. A fall on a cracked or broken sidewalk or a dangerous stairway can involve a different responsible party and a different path to recovery.
Who Is Responsible When You Fall on Someone Else’s Property in New York
After a fall, it is natural to wonder whether anyone is at fault. In most cases, the property owner has a legal duty to keep the premises reasonably safe, and a failure that causes injury can make that owner liable.
Who that party is depends on the property. It may be a landlord, a business, a property management company, the City of New York, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), or the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). To recover, an injured person generally needs to show four things:
- A dangerous condition existed on the property.
- The owner knew about it or should have known, which the law calls actual or constructive notice.
- The owner had time to fix the hazard or warn about it and did not.
- That failure caused the fall and the resulting injuries and losses.
The timeline changes when a public entity is involved. If the City, the MTA, or NYCHA is responsible, you generally have only 90 days to file a formal notice of claim under General Municipal Law 50-e, and a shorter window to sue under section 50-i. Missing that 90-day notice can end an otherwise strong claim, so it helps to act quickly when a public entity may be involved.
Who Is Liable for a Sidewalk Slip and Fall in New York City
If you tripped on a broken sidewalk, you may assume the City is responsible. For most sidewalk falls, that assumption is wrong. Since 2003, the duty to keep a public sidewalk reasonably safe has rested with the owner of the property next to it.
That shift came from New York City Administrative Code 7-210, enacted as Local Law 49 of 2003. It makes the abutting owner responsible for injuries caused by a failure to maintain the sidewalk, including the failure to repair a defective flag or clear snow and ice. The duty is non-delegable, so an owner cannot escape it by hiring a managing agent or a snow-removal contractor. If the contractor fails and someone falls, the injured person still looks to the owner.
The law carves out one main exception. It does not apply to a one-, two-, or three-family home that is owner-occupied and used only as a residence. For a fall in front of that kind of property, the City may be responsible instead, which brings the 90-day notice deadline back into play. The City can also remain responsible for features it controls, such as tree wells. Sorting out who is responsible is often the first hurdle.
Snow and Ice Falls and the Storm in Progress Rule
Winter falls come with an extra rule. Under the storm-in-progress rule, an owner generally does not have to clear snow or ice while a storm is still falling. The duty is to act within a reasonable time after it ends. A fall during an active storm can be harder to pursue, though not automatically a lost cause.
New York City Administrative Code 16-123 separately requires owners and occupants to clear snow and ice from the sidewalk within set hours after a storm. A violation does not decide a case on its own, but it can serve as evidence of negligence. Falls on ice or snow often hinge on timing, and when the storm ended and when the owner acted can decide the claim.
How to Know If You Have a Slip and Fall Case in New York
Many people who fall wonder whether their case is strong enough to pursue. A slip-and-fall case in New York usually rests on a few practical questions. Was there a dangerous condition on the property? Did the owner know about it or have time to find and fix it? Were you hurt as a result? And does being partly at fault end the case? It does not.
For most slip-and-fall claims, New York allows three years from the date of injury to file suit under CPLR 214(5). When a public entity is involved, the 90-day notice deadline applies, and the window is much shorter. Rather than judge your own case, it helps to have it reviewed during a free consultation while the evidence and deadlines still favor you.
How New York’s Pure Comparative Negligence Rule Affects Your Claim
You can still recover even if part of the fall was your own fault. New York follows a rule called pure comparative negligence, set out in CPLR 1411. Being partly responsible reduces your recovery but does not erase it. If your damages come to $100,000 and you are found 20% at fault, you recover $80,000. Some insurers lean on this rule to assign more blame than you deserve, so how fault gets measured is often worth contesting.
What to Do After a Fall to Protect Your Claim
What you do in the hours after a fall can shape how strong your claim is later. A few steps protect both your health and the evidence:
- Get medical care, even if the injury seems minor.
- Report the fall to the owner or building superintendent and ask for a written incident report.
- Photograph the hazard and the scene before it is cleaned up or repaired.
- Collect contact information for anyone who saw the fall.
- Keep your medical records, receipts, and a note of missed work.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to an insurer until you have spoken with a lawyer.
How to Choose a Slip and Fall Lawyer in New York City
Choosing the right lawyer counts, and cost should not keep you from asking. New York City slip-and-fall cases are handled on a contingency fee, which means there is no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. Consultations are free, and intake is open 24 hours a day.
What a Slip and Fall Claim Can Recover for You
When the bills are stacking up, you need a clear sense of what a claim can actually pay for. A slip-and-fall claim can recover the financial and personal costs the injury created, which fall into two broad groups.
Economic damages cover measurable losses:
- Medical bills, both current and future
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Rehabilitation and ongoing care
Non-economic damages cover the harder-to-measure toll, mainly the physical pain and the effect on daily life, often described together as pain and suffering.
The value of a claim depends on the injuries and how they affect your life. A settlement for a fall that required surgery usually looks different from one that did not. We do not assign a dollar figure before the facts are in, and we build the claim around what the fall truly cost you.
Get Help with Your New York City Slip and Fall Claim Today
A slip and fall in New York City raises fast questions about who was responsible and how long you have to act, and those answers do not wait for you to feel ready. We work with injured New Yorkers across the five boroughs to sort out responsibility, preserve evidence before it disappears, and meet the deadlines that can otherwise end a claim. Having your case reviewed early can protect your health and your options before a deadline closes the door.
Consultations are free, and intake is available 24 hours a day. Call us at 646-666-3030 or reach us through our contact form to get started.
Written By Gregory T. Cerchione
Widely known throughout the legal community, Gregory T. Cerchione is a principal at Cerchione Hurowitz Law Group LLP, and one of the driving forces behind the firm’s growth and success. As an esteemed member of the New York legal community,