Greenstein & Milbauer To Hold Building Owners Accountable For Negligent Snow and Ice Removal

New York City personal injury firm Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP has a long history of advocating for those who have suffered fractures and other injuries due to slip and falls on snow and ice. The firm strives to obtain compensation for those injured due to these snow and ice falls when those responsible for snow and ice removal on public sidewalks fail to live up to their responsibilities or perform snow and ice removal negligently. The firm’s website (www.nyclawfirm.com) provides examples of situations where a slip and fall on these conditions is due to the responsibility of a business or building owner. One such example explains, “When the ice starts to melt after a snowfall, many owners think they can get away with letting nature do their shoveling. The challenge is that when it gets cold at night, that water could freeze, going from snow to much more dangerous ice. Ignoring snow on areas of your property that you know people walk on is negligence.”

Over one million Americans are injured in slip-and-fall accidents annually, and the risk of slip-and-fall accidents dramatically increases during the winter months in New York. Bart Pittari, a partner at Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP, states “When the ice starts to melt after a snowfall, many owners think they can get away with letting nature do their shoveling. The challenge is that when it gets cold at night, that water could freeze, going from snow to much more dangerous ice. Ignoring snow on areas of your property that you know people walk on is negligence.”

In a recently filed lawsuit by Greenstein & Milbauer, in the Supreme Court Queens County – Index Number: 721795/2023, the Plaintiff seeks compensation for fractures in her right ankle. There, the Plaintiff claims her injuries occurred due to a slip and fall on ice that remained on a sidewalk. Her injuries eventually required the need for surgical intervention. The lawsuit asserts that the Plaintiff was a lawful pedestrian in front of the building she lived in at the time of her accident. It further contended that she was caused to slip and fall on snow and/or ice that had been allowed to accumulate and remain upon the premises because of the negligence of the Defendant, their agents, servants and/or employees in the ownership, operation, direction, supervision, possession and control of the said premises. Finally, the lawsuit claims that the building owners were responsible for clearing the public sidewalk and knew of the dangerous conditions that caused Plaintiff’s accident.

Each winter New York City receives significant snow fall often followed by several days of extreme temperatures well below freezing. According to the National Weather Service, New York City and the surrounding boroughs have averaged well over twenty (20) inches of snow per winter season over the last ten years.

In New York, building owners are responsible for taking reasonable measures to remedy snow and ice conditions that are caused by inclement weather. These reasonable measures include clearing snow, salting public sidewalks, and providing warnings, according to the American Bar Association. This responsibility begins after a snowstorm has finished; however, once a snowstorm has ended, an owner must remedy the conditions within a reasonable period. In New York City, this reasonable period is codified in the Administrative Code and requires those responsible for clearing snow and ice within four hours of the cessation of a storm. However, once a property owner has undertaken snow removal operations, they must complete the process without negligence.

Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP is concerned with helping those who have suffered injuries caused by the negligence of businesses and building owners due to a slip and fall on snow and ice. The firm has a lengthy track record in this type of litigation and maintains a core group of attorneys dedicated exclusively to handling these cases.

Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP maintains offices in New York City, Harlem, Queens, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, as well as Westchester & Nassau Counties. This is the location of Greenstein & Milbauer's main offices https://www.google.com/maps/place/Greenstein+%26+Milbauer,+LLP/@40.805205,-73.9386147,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xa022ba4bd5199105!8m2!3d40.805205!4d-73.9386147?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiK_dCd4uHVAhWYwYMKHY2YAyAQ_BIIfTAK

Don’t Be a Victim Twice, call 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) for a confidential and informed consultation. The call and consultation are free, of course. Greenstein & Milbauer, LLP represents their clients on a contingency basis.