Property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises safe. When they don’t, and you are injured as a result, you have rights. Whether you slipped on an unmarked hazard, fell due to code violations, or suffered an attack because of inadequate security, New York law allows you to seek compensation for injuries that should never have happened.

At Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, our personal injury attorneys in Ridgewood investigate premises liability claims throughout the area and surrounding Queens neighborhoods. We know what evidence to gather, which experts to consult, and how to prove notice of dangerous conditions. We handle these cases in several languages and meet with clients at their convenience. Recovering from an injury is hard enough without having to deal with the legal system.

The property owner’s insurance company will start working against you immediately. They’ll send adjusters, take statements, and look for ways to deny or minimize your claim. That’s why you need experienced counsel who understands both New York’s liability laws and insurers’ tactics to avoid paying. We take cases on a contingency basis, so there’s no financial risk in getting the legal guidance you deserve.

Property owners must be held accountable for the injuries they cause. Call (718) 249-7447 today for a free case evaluation with a Ridgewood premises liability attorney who can prove negligence and secure fair compensation.

Injured on Someone Else’s Property in Ridgewood? We Fight for You

A slip on wet stairs, a fall through broken flooring, or an attack in a poorly lit parking lot can change your life in seconds. When property owners fail to maintain safe conditions, they must be held accountable for the harm they cause. At Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, we’ve built our reputation on taking on negligent landlords, store owners, and corporations who put profits over people’s safety.

Our Ridgewood premises liability lawyers understand how these cases work, having handled premises liability matters across Queens and Brooklyn. From our office on Myrtle Avenue, we serve clients who speak English, Spanish, Greek, French-Creole, and Korean. We’re available 24/7 because injuries don’t happen on a schedule.

You shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s negligence. We work on a contingency basis, which means you don’t pay us unless we win your case.

Hurt on property that isn’t safe? We’re available 24/7, so call (718) 249-7447 now for your free consultation.

What Is Premises Liability in New York?

Premises liability is the legal responsibility property owners have to keep their buildings, sidewalks, and grounds reasonably safe for visitors. This duty applies whether you’re shopping in a store, visiting a friend’s apartment, or walking on a public sidewalk. When owners are aware of dangerous conditions but fail to fix them or warn people, they can be sued for any resulting injuries.

The keyword is “reasonably.” Property owners don’t have to make their property perfect, but they do need to act as a careful person would. This means regularly checking for hazards, making repairs as needed, and posting warning signs when hazards can’t be fixed immediately.

Do I Have a Valid Premises Liability Case?

You may have a case if the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition that hurt you. To win, we must prove four things: the owner had a duty to keep you safe, they failed in that duty, this failure directly caused your injury, and you suffered real damages as a result. A skilled premises liability attorney in Ridgewood can investigate these elements and determine if you have grounds for a claim.

Duty of Care to Different Types of Visitors

New York law recognizes that property owners owe different levels of care depending on why you were on their property. Customers in stores receive the highest level of protection because the business invited them there to generate revenue. Social guests receive less protection, but owners still can’t allow known dangers to harm them. Even trespassers are owed some fundamental duty not to be deliberately harmed.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Premises Injuries?

Multiple parties often share responsibility when someone is injured on property, and identifying all of them is crucial to obtaining full compensation. A thorough investigation by an experienced property owner negligence attorney may reveal liability beyond just the prominent property owner.

Common defendants include:

Property owners: The people who actually own the building or land.
Property managers: Companies hired to handle day-to-day operations and maintenance.
Commercial tenants: Businesses responsible for their leased spaces.
Security companies: Firms hired to protect the property and its visitors.
Municipal governments: When accidents happen on city-owned property.

Landlord and Property Manager Responsibilities

Landlords in New York have a non-delegable duty to maintain their buildings in a safe condition. This means they can’t escape responsibility by hiring a management company or claiming they didn’t know about problems. They must ensure compliance with building codes, make necessary repairs, and respond promptly to tenant complaints about safety issues.

Store and Business Owner Obligations

Retail businesses must actively identify and remediate hazards that could harm customers. In areas where spills are common, such as grocery store produce sections, owners can be held liable under the “mode of operation” doctrine even without specific notice of the hazard. This legal theory recognizes that some business practices pose foreseeable risks that require constant attention.

NYC Sidewalk Liability Rules

Under NYC Administrative Code Section 7-210, most commercial and multi-family property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks in front of their buildings.

This includes keeping them clear of snow and ice, fixing cracks and holes, and ensuring proper drainage. However, owners of small residential properties (one to three-family homes used only for residential purposes) are generally not liable for sidewalk conditions.

If your injury happened on city-owned property like a park or government building, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the accident. Missing this deadline can permanently destroy your right to compensation.

Security Company and Third-Party Liability

When violent crimes occur due to inadequate security, both property owners and security companies can be held responsible. As a negligent security lawyer, we investigate whether the property had proper lighting, working locks, security cameras, or adequate security personnel. Property owners who are aware of criminal activity in their area but fail to take reasonable precautions may be liable for foreseeable attacks.

Common Types of Premises Liability Cases We Handle

From Ridgewood apartment buildings to Queens shopping centers, we’ve seen how property negligence affects real families. As your Ridgewood slip and fall lawyer, we understand the evidence needed to prove these cases and the tactics insurance companies use to avoid paying fair compensation.

Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents

Wet floors often cause these without warning signs, uneven surfaces (broken sidewalks, loose flooring), poor lighting in stairwells or parking lots, and cluttered walkways.

Building and Equipment Failure

We handle injuries from stairway and handrail accidents caused by code violations, as well as from elevator and escalator malfunctions resulting from poor maintenance.

Weather and Property Neglect

We investigate snow and ice accidents, focusing on whether property owners failed to clear hazards within a reasonable time. We also manage apartment building accidents, including ceiling collapses and injuries from broken fixtures caused by deferred repairs.

Negligent Security

We hold property owners liable when their failure to provide adequate security leads to assaults, robberies, and other crimes on their premises.

Dog Bite Incidents

We pursue claims against both dog owners (strictly liable for medical expenses) and landlords who knowingly allowed a dangerous pet to reside on the property.

If you or a loved member of your family has been injured due to a hazardous condition on someone else’s property, you need immediate legal action. Our Ridgewood premises liability lawyers are ready to start your investigation today to preserve crucial evidence and build your case for maximum compensation.

What to Do Immediately After a Premises Accident

The actions you take right after an accident are crucial. Evidence disappears quickly, and property owners often rush to fix hazards. Acting fast protects both your health and your legal rights.

Prioritize Health and Documentation

Seek immediate medical care even if injuries seem minor, and clearly document how the accident happened with medical staff. If you are able, photograph the exact spot where you fell, along with your injuries, and collect the contact information of any witnesses.

Report and Preserve Evidence

Notify the property owner or manager immediately and insist on filing a written incident report, securing a copy for your records. Crucially, security camera footage is often erased quickly, so you must contact an attorney immediately to send preservation letters and protect this evidence. Never give recorded statements to insurance adjusters without legal advice.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

New York law allows you to seek compensation for all losses caused by the property owner’s negligence, similar to damages you can claim after an accident in other personal injury cases. Our goal is to secure a settlement or verdict that truly covers every aspect of how the accident has affected your life.

Your damages may include:

Medical expenses: All costs for emergency treatment, surgery, hospital stays, physical therapy, medications, and future medical care related to your injuries.
Lost income: Wages you’ve missed while recovering, plus any reduction in your future earning ability if your injuries prevent you from working at full capacity.
Pain and suffering: Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and loss of enjoyment of life caused by the accident.
Out-of-pocket costs: Transportation to medical appointments, home modifications for disabilities, household help, and medical equipment.

The amount you can recover depends on the severity of your injuries, how they’ve impacted your daily life, and the strength of the evidence proving the property owner’s negligence.

Time Limits for Filing Premises Liability Claims

In New York, you generally have three years from the date of your accident to file a premises liability lawsuit. However, claims against government entities have much shorter deadlines. If your injury occurred on city property, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days.

Don’t wait to contact a Ridgewood premises liability lawyer. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget details, and important deadlines can pass before you realize it. The sooner we begin investigating your case, the stronger our position will be to prove the property owner’s negligence and secure fair compensation.

How We Build Strong Premises Liability Cases

Winning these cases requires more than just showing you were injured on someone’s property. We must prove the owner knew about the dangerous condition but failed to fix it or warn people about it. As an experienced unsafe property conditions lawyer, we use a systematic approach to gather the evidence needed to hold negligent property owners accountable.

Immediate Scene Investigation

We visit the accident site as quickly as possible to photograph and measure any defects before they are repaired or altered. Our team documents lighting conditions, measures uneven surfaces, and identifies any building code violations that may have contributed to your accident.

Research Building Violations and Complaints

We use Freedom of Information Law requests to obtain Department of Buildings records, violation histories, and prior complaints about the property. This background information often reveals patterns of negligence that strengthen your case and show the owner’s knowledge of dangerous conditions.

Expert Witness Testimony

We work with engineers, architects, safety experts, and medical professionals who can explain to a jury exactly how the property owner’s negligence caused your injuries. These experts review building codes, industry standards, and the specific circumstances of your accident to provide compelling testimony about liability and damages.

Thorough Insurance Company Negotiations

Insurance companies know our reputation for taking cases to trial and winning significant verdicts. This knowledge gives us leverage in settlement negotiations and often results in better offers for our clients than most personal injury cases receive when handled without experienced counsel.

Why Choose Grigor Law for Your Ridgewood Premises Case

When you’re facing off against property owners, management companies, and their insurance carriers, you need an advocate who combines fierce courtroom skills with genuine compassion for injury victims. Chrissy Grigoropoulos has built her reputation on both qualities, earning recognition as one of the best personal injury attorneys in Ridgewood through her relentless pursuit of justice for her clients.

We understand that every client’s situation is unique, which is why we offer personalized attention and keep you informed throughout the entire process. Our multilingual team ensures that language is never a barrier to getting the legal help you deserve, and our 24/7 availability means you can reach us when you need us most.

Most importantly, we work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we win your case. This arrangement allows us to take on powerful defendants without putting additional financial stress on families already dealing with medical bills and lost wages.

Contact a Ridgewood Premises Liability Lawyer Today

You don’t have to navigate this process alone or wonder whether you have a valid case. During your free consultation, we’ll review what happened, explain your legal rights, and outline the steps we would take to pursue compensation on your behalf. If your injuries make travel difficult, we can meet you at your home or at the hospital.

Don’t let property owners escape responsibility for their negligence. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can begin protecting evidence and building the strongest possible case for your recovery.

You’ve been hurt enough. Let us fight for the compensation you deserve. Call Grigor Law at (718) 249-7447 or contact us online for your free consultation. Available 24/7 in multiple languages.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ridgewood Premises Liability Cases

Do I Need to Prove the Property Owner Actually Knew About the Dangerous Condition?

Not necessarily – you can win by proving either actual notice (they knew) or constructive notice (the condition existed long enough that they should have discovered it during reasonable inspections).

Who Pays for Sidewalk Injuries in New York City?

The adjacent property owner is typically responsible under NYC law, except for owners of one to three-family homes used exclusively for residential purposes.

How Quickly Must I Act to Preserve Security Camera Footage?

Immediately, surveillance footage can be overwritten or deleted quickly, and this video evidence can be crucial for proving your case.

Ridgewood Premise Liability Lawyer