In New Jersey and New York, property managers have a legal obligation to maintain safe premises for their visitors and workers. This means that, in addition to clearing hazards that may arise naturally or as a consequence of daily use (spills, icy surfaces), property managers must also ensure that their buildings are structurally sound and up-to-date on health and safety inspections. If a property is not properly maintained, and a guest is injured as a result, the property manager may be found negligent and held liable for the damages through a premises liability lawsuit.
Such may be the case in a recent Long Island balcony collapse. According to reports, five people sustained serious injuries last month after a second-story balcony of a Long Beach apartment building collapsed and fell. The victims fell to the first floor balcony about five feet below and suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries. Attorneys for the plaintiffs allege that the accident was a preventable one caused by poor maintenance. To bolster that claim, reports say that the emergency service members who responded to the incident also found other balconies that were structurally unsound.
While, thankfully, no one has was killed in this accident, balcony and porch collapses have historically ended in tragedy. In July 2003, 33 people were injured after the deck of a beachfront house collapsed in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. And, more infamously, 13 people were killed and 57 injured after a porch collapsed during a house party in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. In that incident, 27 families filed premises liability lawsuits against the homeowner and city of Chicago seeking compensation for their damages and losses.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured as a result of a hazardous or poorly maintained piece of property, you may be entitled to damages from the responsible party. In New Jersey and New York, an injured victim may be eligible for a financial recovery including lost wages and medical bills accrued from the injury. To qualify, premises liabilities cases must be filed within two years from the date of the accident. At Breslin & Breslin, our premise liabilities attorneys have the necessary knowledge and courtroom experience to help ensure that you will not have to pay for medical bills and other economic issues as a result of someone else’s negligence. Don’t hesitate to contact our premise liabilities attorneys today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
