QUEENS SLIP AND FALL LAWYER
SLIP-AND-FALL ACCIDENTS ARE MORE SERIOUS THAN YOU THINK
Slip-and-fall accidents may get a good laugh on television, but there is nothing funny about a serious injury that can result from an unexpected slip, trip, or fall while shopping or visiting a place of business. Under New York law, proving property owner negligence in slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall premises liability cases is becoming more difficult every year. Legislators and jury members are beginning to place a higher degree of liability on the carelessness of the victim. In cases of clear property owner liability, however, a full and fair settlement is often within closer reach.
How much compensation you get for a slip-and-fall settlement in New York varies based on the unique circumstances of each situation and the severity of your injuries. Based on our own 2024 settlement data, the average slip-and-fall settlement is between $250,000 to $538,000.
TYPES OF SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENTS
According to the NYC Department of Health, “fall-related injuries are the leading cause of injury hospitalizations among children ages 0-14 and adults 25 years and older. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for those 45 years and older.” In light of this shocking data, it’s important to know that falls are preventable if the proper precautions are taken. Below are some of the most common types of slip and fall accidents you should look to prevent when visiting, working, or living in NYC.
- Slippery or uneven floors
- Icy or snowy sidewalks
- Unsafe or uneven sidewalks
- Unsecured rugs and mats
- Cluttered floors
- Loose cables and wires
- Broken or loose handrails
- Uneven, broken, or slippery stairs
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unsafe parking lot or parking garage conditions
- Defective elevators and escalators
- Unsafe conditions outside apartment complexes
- and more
Preventing these conditions is easy to do when you are in your own home but almost impossible to control when you are outside of your living space. That’s why if you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, it’s important to call a nearby Queens slip and fall lawyer right away to discuss a possible case to get compensated for your injuries.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE SLIP-AND-FALL SETTLEMENT PAYOUT IN NEW YORK?
According to the slip-and-fall settlement examples on this page, the typical New York slip-and-fall settlement is anywhere from $250,000 to $1,000,000. Settlements depend greatly on the unique circumstances of each case which is why there is no accurate average settlement amount for slip-and-fall in New York.
RECENT AVERAGE SLIP-AND-FALL SETTLEMENT AMOUNTS IN NEW YORK
Here are some recent slip-and-fall accident settlements we secured for our clients in New York. While we cannot promise identical outcomes for every case, we aim to offer insight into the potential compensation our legal team can help to achieve on your behalf.
$538,000/New York Premises Liability/Slip-and-Fall/Verdict 2021
The 56-year-old client was attending an event at a restaurant when she slipped on a slippery floor due to nearby melting ice and landed on her left knee. The defendants failed to answer timely. We moved for a default judgment, which was granted. The defendants moved to vacate the default judgment, which was granted and we appealed. Several years later, the Appellate Division reversed the lower court and reinstated the default. We tried the case at an inquest in front of a judge with the testimony of the plaintiff and the plaintiff’s and defendant’s medical experts. The defendants produced surveillance video of the plaintiff. The defendants contended that the arthroscopic surgery to the knee resulted from the fall, but that the knee replacement was necessitated by longstanding and ongoing left knee arthritis. We argued that, while one (out of three) knee compartments showed some evidence of pre-accident arthritis, the other two compartments did not develop arthritis until after and as a result of the accident. The Court awarded $350,000 for past pain and suffering, $72,000 for future pain and suffering, and $20,000 in future medicals. With interest from the defendants’ default, we collected a total settlement of $538,187.55.
$450,000/New York Premises Liability/Slip-and-Fall Settlement 2023
The 56-year-old home care attendant was accompanying her elderly client to a medical appointment inside a medical clinic. While doing so she stepped onto what we contended was an inherently dangerous and building code violating single step riser within a passageway of the office and fell, landing on her right shoulder. The accident was not recorded by anyone within the medical office. Her elderly charge passed away before her testimony could be taken. Her daughter came to the office and took the plaintiff to a local emergency room where she was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture of her right proximal humerus. She was treated in therapy and eventually underwent a manipulation of her shoulder under anesthesia for developing adhesive capsulitis, but without success. The various medical groups within the premises denied any knowledge of the incident and the owner of the premises could not recall building the subject single step riser. After approximately eight depositions as well as motion practice regarding multiple owners, the action settled for $450,000.
$250,000/New York Premises Liability/Trip-and-Fall Settlement 2023
The client, a 31-year-old contract maintenance worker, was exiting a bathroom in the commercial high-rise where he was working the overnight shift when he tripped and fell over some loose and broken tiles on the bathroom floor. He reported the accident to his supervisor who issued a report. Upon leaving work he presented to an urgent care medical clinic where he reported that he slipped on a slick surface and fell on his back, breaking his fall with his right hand. He was subsequently treated in therapy and MRIs revealed a disc herniation in his neck and lumbar spine. He underwent one lumbar epidural injection and one cervical epidural injection. The plaintiff had taken photos of the broken tiles. The defendants contended that their records indicated that the broken tiles had been reported and then fixed prior to the plaintiff’s fall. After multiple depositions, the matter settled for $250,000.
$1,000,000/New York Premises Liability/Slip & Fall On Ice in 2024
Our client slipped and fell due to ice on a sidewalk. It is very difficult to prove liability in snow & ice cases in New York, so we investigated the adjacent building’s water systems and found that they were illegally funneling water from the roof to the sidewalk. This client had a prior fusion surgery to her back, and this fall required a second fusion surgery. The insurance company argued that this was a pre-existing injury, but we fought vigorously for our client’s rights and got the insurance company to tender their full policy limits of $1 Million Dollars shortly after depositions were completed.
$522,000/New York Premises Liability/Trip & Fall On Steps in 2024
Our client fell on the exterior steps of his apartment complex. He sustained a soft tissue ankle injury for which he treated without any surgeries. He was willing to accept $250,000 as compensation for his injuries, but the defense argued that anything more than $75,000 was excessive. The property owner was a successful developer who retained a renowned law firm to defend him. They fought hard, but to no avail, as our firm argued vigorously before the appellate court obtaining our client a total of $522,000.
QUEENS PREMISES LIABILITY LAWYER
If you are injured in a slip and fall accident due to unsafe conditions on someone else’s property, you may have a premises liability claim on your hands. In such cases, if you were lawfully on the property, it’s the job of a premise liability attorney in Queens to prove that the property owner owes the injured party a duty of care and should have provided a reasonably safe environment. However, if you were unlawfully on the property or trespassing, it’s important to prove that it’s reasonably foreseeable that you or the injured party would be on the property at some point, which can be trickier to prove.
Once you prove the property owner owed a duty of care, the next step is proving the property owner had notice of defective conditions and failed to fix them in a timely manner. then, you need to prove that the injured party was injured due to the defective conditions. finally, the lawyer will need to prove that the injured party suffered measurable damages due to being injured by the defective conditions. These damages can include injury, cost of transportation to the hospital after the accident, medical fees, ongoing rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
All of the above conditions must be met for a successful premise liability claim, and it’s best to call Queens premise liability lawyer to make sure your claim is taken care of the right way. If the injury was caused by the city, a municipal liability claim may also be possible.
TYPES OF SLIP AND FALL INJURIES
The types of injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents can vary greatly. Factors including how you fall, where you fall, and how far you fall all come into play when the accident happens. If you fall onto or into something dangerous, it can increase the likelihood of a serious or life-threatening injury. Also, age and health conditions are both factors that contribute to trip and fall accidents, as older individuals tend to get more injured from slips and falls than younger individuals. In fact, according to the CDC fall death fates in the US increased 30% from 2007 to 2016 for older adults.
Some of the most common types of injuries that happen due to slips and falls include:
- Hip fractures
- Broken or sprained bones
- Soft tissue damage (bruising or swelling)
- Back injuries
- Head trauma
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Loss of limbs
- Paralysis
- Death
FEELING UNWELL AFTER A FALL IN QUEENS? SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY
Symptoms like throwing up after a fall, feeling sick without vomiting, or feeling nausea after falling can be signs of a concussion. This reaction occurs as a brains response to trauma. When the head sustains an impact, or the brain is jarred during an accident – the normal equilibrium can be disrupted – which impacts the body in a multitude of ways. One response to this type of trauma is manifested as nausea, and in more distressing cases, vomiting. Nausea and vomiting immediately after a head injury is a clear sign of concussion.
Here’s how a fall can cause symptoms like nausea and vomiting
- Vestibular Dysfunction: Inner ear or cerebellar injury leading to dizziness and vomiting.
- Migraines: Head injury-induced migraines can cause severe headaches and vomiting.
- Skull Fracture: Pain from a skull fracture may result in vomiting.
- Subdural Hematoma: A serious brain bleed often accompanied by repeated vomiting.
Other common symptoms of a concussion can include confusion, headache, lack of coordination, dizziness, ringing in the ears, sleepiness or excessive fatigue, and memory loss. It’s crucial to recognize that these symptoms may not appear immediately after the fall and can vary in intensity. Therefore, if you experience any discomfort following a fall, seeking medical attention is essential for proper evaluation and care.
LEAD POISONING INJURIES
While lead paint has been banned for decades in New York, many buildings expose children and adults to unsafe levels of lead. Many small multiple-family buildings in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and other areas of New York have paint chipping from the walls and ceilings. Residents of these apartments, condos, or other units may be exposed to harmful levels of lead.
Lead exposure gained new attention recently as investigations revealed lead contamination in water supplies in cities across the country. However, the most common source of lead exposure in young children is lead-based paint. Many older buildings were coated with lead-based paint, and the toxin remains in homes across New York City. Paint chips, dust, debris, and soil surrounding older buildings may be contaminated with lead. Ingesting or breathing in contaminated matter creates a high risk for lead poisoning. Children are the most vulnerable to lead poisoning injuries, however, adults can also suffer significant injury, or even death, from toxic exposure to lead as well.
EXPERIENCE AND INTEGRITY ARE HALLMARKS OF COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C.
If you or a loved one is suffering from lead poisoning, you want to work with experienced lawyers who know how to build a strong case against negligent building owners and managers who allow lead to remain on the premises. The attorneys and legal team at COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C., are dedicated to fighting to obtain justice for lead poisoning victims. We investigate every level of detail to understand the maintenance records and history of the premises to determine all of the potential parties who may be responsible for the lead contamination.
ELEVATOR & ESCALATOR ACCIDENTS
Modern society has relied on escalators and elevators for decades. Unfortunately, they can be dangerous if not installed or maintained properly. Every year more than 10,000 people across the U.S. are seriously injured in accidents that occur while riding on or stepping onto or off of an escalator or elevator.* Injuries can include serious fractures of the legs, feet, and arms, as well as catastrophic back injuries.
If you suffered an injury from an elevator or escalator in a building in New York City or the surrounding area, turn to COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C., for legal help. The property owner may be held liable for compensating you for:
- Medical treatment and physical rehabilitation
- Special devices and alterations to your home or vehicle
- Lost wages, salary, and future earnings
- Pain, suffering, and other damages
From our offices in Forest Hills, our firm represents plaintiffs in personal injury litigation matters in Queens and throughout the New York City metropolitan area. Contact us to schedule a free case evaluation with Queens elevator accident attorney Albert Cohen today.
SIDEWALK ACCIDENTS
Owners of residential and commercial properties in New York are required by law to remove hazards and maintain sidewalks in reasonable condition to prevent slip, trip, and fall accidents. Although courts expect pedestrians to take reasonable responsibility to avoid dangerous conditions, unseen ice, unattended cracks, and other unsafe conditions can lead to serious injuries.
FREE CONSULTATION · NO ATTORNEYS’ FEES UNLESS YOU RECOVER MONEY
If you or a loved one in your family suffered an injury on a sidewalk, talk to COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C. Mr. Cohen leads a team of personal injury claims attorneys with years of experience helping clients recover millions of dollars in monetary damages for injuries suffered in premises liability and other types of personal injury accidents. Our firm offers the advantage of helping our clients keep more of their settlement and jury awards. Through skillful application of New York and federal trust laws, we can help you reduce liens and preserve your assets for lifelong needs.
Turn to us for help with any type of serious injury claim, such as:
- Sidewalk accidents
- Parking ramp or parking lot pedestrian accidents
- Crosswalk and intersection accidents
- Stairs, pedestrian ramps, elevator, and escalator accidents
WAS YOUR INJURY, ULTIMATELY, CAUSED BY THE CITY?
It is not uncommon for an accident to occur that can ultimately be traced back to the negligence or inattention of city workers or officials. If you or a loved one was injured and cannot readily identify the liable party, it is in your best interests to discuss the matter with an experienced personal injury attorney.
Through a free personal injury consultation, COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C., can take steps to set your claim in motion. We have extensive experience identifying at-fault parties and representing injured people in a broad range of types of accidents.
If a municipality — city, town, or village — has liability in your accident, it can come from any type of circumstance, including:
- Motor vehicle accidents: If the collision was caused by a police car, fire truck, ambulance, sanitation truck, or other government vehicle, there might be municipal liability.
- Premises liability: If you tripped over a cracked sidewalk, slipped on ice and/or snow, or were injured in an accident due to poor lighting or broken stairs, you might be entitled to recover monetary damages.
- Medical malpractice: If you were mistreated (misdiagnosed, subject to surgical errors, or subject to medication errors) at a city-owned hospital or healthcare facility, we can explore your legal options through a municipal liability case.
If you were injured in Queens or anywhere else in the city, it is wise to act quickly. New York has very strict statutes of limitations; your notice of claim must be filed within 90 days of the accident. Call or email our firm to learn more about your rights and get an experienced attorney on your side.
COMMON AREAS OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES CAN BE DANGEROUS
If you or a loved one was injured in an apartment complex accident, a New York attorney can listen to your case and explain the legal process as it relates to your situation. Schedule a free consultation at our Queens office to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer.
Property owners and managers have a duty to keep common areas safe for both residents and visitors. Common areas in an apartment complex, unfortunately, can become hazardous for any number of reasons: broken tiles, cracked pavement, torn carpeting, broken stairs, and jagged metal handrails can lead to serious accidents and injuries. At COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C., we have represented countless clients who suffered a variety of injuries, ranging from broken bones to head trauma. If you have fallen victim to dangerous conditions while visiting an apartment complex, contact our firm at once.
BATTLING RECURRING CONDITIONS
You might not have been the first person who was injured on a property. It is not uncommon for us to uncover numerous other injuries in an area while investigating your accident. When an area suffers from improper maintenance, and always seems to be dirty, this is called a recurring condition. Common recurring conditions can include:
- A staircase that’s always covered in debris
- The area around a garbage chute that’s always dirty
- A handrail that never gets fixed
- A hallway that always has broken lights
After an accident, it is wise to discuss your matter with a lawyer. It’s possible that your slip-and-fall accident indicates that a dangerous area led to injuries before and that it was never fixed or corrected to prevent your injury from occurring.
STAIRWAY ACCIDENTS
In a typical year in the United States, more than 1,300 people lose their lives and many thousands more are injured in falls on defective steps and staircases, ranking us number one in the world for stairway accidents.* In many cases, the injured party is either old or a young child, and, too often, the fall could have been prevented if the stairs and railings had been properly constructed or maintained.
If you, your elderly loved one or your child has suffered a serious injury in a stairway accident in New York City or the surrounding area, the property owner may be held liable for damages. You have the right to seek full and fair monetary recovery for medical care, lost earnings, and pain resulting from the injuries.
SERIOUS INJURIES IN PARKING GARAGES
Have you been injured on a parking ramp or in a parking garage? Are you being pressured by a property owner to forget anything happened? Are you being compelled by an insurance company to settle for less than you think you are owed? COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C., can fight for your full and fair monetary compensation.
YOU MUST REACT QUICKLY
In any slip-and-fall case, it’s important to move quickly before the problem gets covered up. We can help identify dangerous areas, like places with inadequate security or areas with poor lighting. Contact us immediately so we can start working to get you fair compensation for your injuries.
Remember these tips:
- Make note of the time of day of your injury.
- Record the weather conditions.
- Pay attention to the shoes you were wearing when you were injured.
- Note any witnesses or security cameras in the area.
- Look to see if dangerous spots – dark corners, uneven pavement, wet areas – were properly signed.
Parking lots are notorious for having slippery oil stains and cracked pavement. If you tripped and fell while walking through the parking lot, contact our firm so we can begin developing your case strategy at once.
WE WILL BE THERE FOR YOU
Successfully fighting for fair compensation in your parking garage injury case will require knowledge of the court system and winning strategies. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience representing clients in the full range of injury cases. You need a legal representative skilled at finding witnesses, interviewing property owners, and preparing medical records. We will go head to head with the huge insurance corporations and do everything we can to get you justice in an unfair situation.
We understand how injuries can be painful both physically and financially. We are ready to meet with you at home, at the hospital, or in our offices to listen to the facts of your case and offer our legal advice and potential representation.
CONTACT AN ESTABLISHED PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER TODAY
Our lawyers provide legal advice and representation for clients suffering from injuries they received on parking ramps and in parking garages in Queens and communities throughout New York. Contact us to set up a meeting with a personal injury lawyer near you.
FREE CONSULTATION · NO ATTORNEYS’ FEES UNLESS YOU RECOVER MONEY
If you were seriously injured in a slip-and-fall accident on a sidewalk, in a parking lot, on an escalator, in a stairway, or anywhere on a private or public property located in the New York City metropolitan area, call COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C. Attorney Albert Cohen heads a team of experienced lawyers who understand the strategies insurance companies and property owners use when fighting to protect themselves from financial liability. Our firm has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for clients injured in personal injury accidents.
From our offices in Forest Hills, our firm represents plaintiffs in personal injury litigation matters in Queens and throughout the New York City metropolitan area. Contact us to schedule a free case evaluation with a Queens slip-and-fall injury attorney near you today.
We will show you how to protect your financial recovery.
Insurance settlements and jury verdict awards are subject to liens. Since we devote a substantial amount of our practice to estate planning and asset preservation, we offer the advantage of helping our personal injury clients use estate preservation strategies to reduce these liens. Through estate preservation strategies such as trusts and other instruments, we can help you retain control over a larger portion of your settlement than other litigation firms may be able to do.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Read this 5-star Google review below regarding slip and fall injury case in Queens
“Super competent, aggressive, and ethical attorney. Albert Cohen and his team handled my personal injury case. This law firm does not cut corners and will get you maximum compensation. It took a little longer then I expected to resolve the case, but the results were above and beyond my most optimistic expectations. You truly changed my life, Mr. Cohen!”
By: Roshel Pakanayev
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read more reviews on Google.
CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED QUEENS PREMISES LIABILITY LAWYER FOR TRIP-AND-FALL ACCIDENTS
Looking for the best Queens premises liability lawyer in New York? If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, call the tip and fall accident attorneys at Cohen and Cohen Law Group now for a FREE consultation at (718) 275-7779. We provide a free, no-obligation case evaluation and handle all personal injury and lead poisoning cases on a contingency fee basis. You will not pay lawyers’ fees if we do not help you recover monetary compensation for your claim. Call (718) 275-7779 to arrange an initial consultation. You may also use our convenient email contact form to request a return phone call about your case.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, contact us to speak to a Queens car accident lawyer today.
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