Can I Sue if I Slip and Fall on a Cracked Sidewalk on Long Island?

Posted on February 5, 2013 by admin

Between snow, ice, salt, tree roots and wear and tear, Long Island has its fair share of sidewalks that are cracked, lifted or damaged in some way.

If you are injured due to a poorly maintained sidewalk, you may be able to sue. But who do you sue? That depends on what town you are in.

Long Island has 13 towns. Five of them put the responsibility of maintaining sidewalks on the property owner—Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Babylon, Huntington, and Islip. This means if you slip, trip and fall on a sidewalk in these towns, you may have a case against the property owner

In contrast, if you slip and fall on a sidewalk in North Hempstead, Riverhead, Brookhaven, Smithtown, East Hampton, South Hampton or Southold, then it is the town that is responsible. Suing a town for damages rather than a property owner has extra challenges and settlements are often lower. You must file a notice that you are making the claim within 90 days of the lawsuit and the statute of limitation is shorter when suing a municipality versus an individual.

The remaining town, Shelter Island, does not have any sidewalks in residential areas.

If you recently slipped or fell due to a broken sidewalk, contact Goldstein and Bashner at (888) NYLAW12 for a free, no obligation case evaluation. Visit our website at www.eglw.com.

Long Island has its fair share of cracked, lifted and damaged sidewalks

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Long Island Shopping Mall Slip and Falls—More Common Than You Think!

Posted on September 14, 2012 by admin

From Roosevelt Field to Smith Haven Mall, Broadway Mall to Green Acres, Long Island’s many malls—with their large crowds, multiple levels, numerous stores, fountains, displays and escalators—are, not surprisingly, the location of many slip and fall accidents.

Did you slip and fall at a Long Island shopping mall? Contact our experienced lawyers to discuss your case and your best legal recourse.

Malls, like every other business, have a responsibility to keep their shoppers safe. This includes:
• Maintaining both a safe exterior and interior. This includes making sure floor surfaces are properly maintained, walkways are kept clear, parking lots are paved and well-lit and doors and escalators are functioning safely.
• Properly preparing for known holiday crowds and special events. Remember back in 2008 when a Wal-Mart employer was trampled to death by a crowd, or in 2009 when a scheduled appearance by Justin Bieber at Roosevelt Field was cancelled after chaos broke out among them 3,000 fans that showed up at 7:00am to wait for their idol? Proper security and crowd-control planning can help prevent such incidents.
• Responding to known hazards and issues. If someone trips and falls on a broken tile at a store, then that store has been put on notice of the dangerous condition. If no one bothers to repair the tile, than the business is likely to be held accountable for any further injuries that result from that broken tile. The same is true for such hazards as a malfunctioning escalator, frayed rug or ceiling leak that leaves a puddle, and

When the shopping malls or individual stores don’t take proper care to keep shoppers safe, injuries occur. If you are injured at a Long Island shopping mall, you have rights and may be entitled to compensation. Contact our experienced accident lawyers today for a free consultation.

How We Can Help
Slip and falls and other accidents at shopping malls can lead to serious injuries, including:
• Broken bones
• Back and neck injuries
• Concussions
• Dislocations
• Torn tendons and ligaments

Our experienced lawyers will sit down with you to answer all your questions and discuss the best course of action for you to take—no obligation, no fee. In fact there is never a fee until you collect a verdict or settlement. We will help ensure that you get the maximum compensation you deserve for your medical expenses, lost income, related expenses and pain and suffering.

Contact Goldstein and Bashner today to schedule your free consultation. We are a small Long Island firm working hard to ensure our clients get the maximum compensation you deserve!

Call us at 516-222-4000 or visit our official website at eglaw.com

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Beware the Staircase!

Posted on June 11, 2012 by admin

A surprising number of serious slip and fall cases that come in to our Long Island office happen on staircases. While some accidents are due to carelessness, not paying attention or running too fast up or down the stairs, there are times when the property owners are responsible for the accident. Were any of these causes a factor in your fall?
• Broken step or riser
• Broken handrail
• Inadequate lighting
• Poor design
• Failure to comply with building codes

If you were injured for any of these reason on stairs that were on someone else’s property–whether it was in an apartment building, shopping center, supermarket, office building, restaurant, or other location–the property owner may be held responsible.

Staircase falls can result in severe sprains, broken bones, head injuries and neck and spine injuries. These types of injuries are often serious and can lead to permanent injury.

Contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you get the facts and understand whether or not you have a case.

Contact Us Today!

Our experienced lawyers will fight for your rights. We work with a team of top-notch investigators and medical experts to help collect the evidence you need to win your case and get the compensation you deserve. This includes medical expenses, future medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other costs associated with your injury.

If you were injured in a slip and fall accident and want to find out how a lawyer can specifically help with your case, contact us for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your case and answer any questions you have with no obligation. We have offices in East Meadow, Central Islip and mid-town Manhattan. Call us at 516-222-4000.

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Slip and Falls at a Long Island Park

Posted on April 16, 2012 by admin

Slip and falls can happen anywhere, including at one of Long Island’s many town and state parks—such as Eisenhower Park, Bethpage, Christopher Morley, Belmont Lake and Sunken Meadow State Park. As the weather gets warmer and more kids and family are playing outdoors and enjoying public parks, accidents and injuries may result from:

• Broken pavement
• Fields that are not properly maintained
• Sports and playground equipment that is not properly maintained or up to safety standards

Most Long Island parks are either run by the town, county or state. If you or someone in your family is injured, it is important to contact a qualified Long Island slip and fall lawyer as soon as possible as cases against municipalities have strict time limitations. An experienced lawyer can help you make a decision about pursuing your case and then get the process in motion. It is important to do this as soon as possible–when suing the town, county or state, you must first file a notice of claim within 90 days of the incident. If this claim is not filed in time, you generally can’t file a lawsuit unless you apply for special permission to get a delay.

At Goldstein and Bashner, our expert attorneys are experienced in pursuing and winning these types of cases. Visit our website for more information, and contact our lawyers for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll sit down with you to discuss your case, answer all your questions and let you know what to expect from the legal process.

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Taking a Slip before Your Trip: What You Need to Know about Airport Slips and Falls

Posted on March 22, 2012 by admin

The last thing you need when starting a vacation is an accident. Slip and falls at the airport are common, and though luckily many do not result in serious injury, when they do they can spoil a vacation and leave victims with broken bones, neck and back injuries, fractured hips and serious head injuries.

JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark airport are all operated by Port Authority. Many times, though, there may be additional responsible parties. For example, a slip and fall at Kennedy Airport may be in part due to negligence of a construction company. An accident at La Guardia may be caused in part the fault of a maintenance company.

Cases against Port Authority (which owns not only JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports , but also JFK’s AirTrain, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, many of the area’s bridges and tunnels and the PATH Train) have special considerations and strict time limitations. It is essential if you think you have a case to consult a skilled personal injury lawyer who is experienced in handling these types of cases. Do not wait too long, as you have a limited time to file a claim of notice and a shortened statute of limitations. A qualified accident attorney will review your case, lay out your options and ensure all claims and necessary paperwork is filed properly.

Our Long Island personal injury lawyers have over 20 years handling cases against the Port Authority and will fight to get you the maximum compensation you deserve. We’ll determine if there is any other party at fault in addition to the Port Authority—such as a construction or maintenance company.

We are a small personal injury firm that devotes our full, personalized attention and dedication to each and every case.

Contact Goldstein & Bashner today at (888) NYLAW12 for a free, no obligation case evaluation.

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Common Long Island Slip and Fall Causes

Posted on January 20, 2012 by admin

Long Island slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere: at the supermarket, the mall, in a movie theater, a restaurant or outside in a park, on the sidewalk or while crossing the street. Some common causes include:

  • An impediment in a walkway, such as a tree stump, debris, a power cord or loose papers
  • Snow and ice that is not cleared from sidewalks, driveways, walkways and roads
  • Stores fail to clean up after spills or leave merchandise on the floor
  • Sidewalks and other paths are cracked, uneven or broken
  • Poorly maintained carpets and rugs
  • Stairways are not well lit or have broken steps or handrails

Who’s at Fault?

If the slip and fall was due to a hazard that a property owner knew about or should have known about, then he or she may be responsible for the accident. Property owners have a responsibility to use reasonable care in keeping their premises safe.

How We Can Help

Slip and fall cases are not easy to win, but a good slip and fall lawyer will gather evidence to help show a dangerous condition that the owners knew about existed and caused the accident. Goldstein and Bashner’s experienced lawyers have won many slip and fall cases by working with top-notch experts and devoting proper time and dedication to each and every case. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall case, Goldstein and Bashner can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your case, answer all your questions and let you know what you can expect from the legal process.

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When to hire a Long Island Slip and Fall Lawyer

Posted on December 19, 2011 by admin

Were you recently injured in a slip and fall accident? A slip and fall can happen anywhere, at Roosevelt Field, Applebee’s, Stop and Shop, a private home or at your office building.

If you slip and fall it is important to first determine if you were hurt due to your own negligence, such as walking while not paying attention to where you were going. But even if you believe the property owner is at fault, it is not as simple as collecting a check for slipping on a puddle in the grocery store. To win a slip and fall claim, you need to show that the owner was aware of the hazard and ignored it or should have known and failed to address it.

Property owners do have certain obligations, and when they don’t take the necessary precautions to keep their place safe —such as making repairs when notified of a dangerous condition, providing cleared aisles and passageways, clearing snow and ice in a timely manner and maintaining properly working doors and safe store displays—they may be held liable for the  injuries that result. An experienced Long Island personal injury lawyer will gather evidence and work to get you the compensation you deserve. At Goldstein & Bashner, we have nearly 40 years of combined legal experience handling these types of cases and a track record of winning high settlement for our clients.

Our lawyers are on your side and will always have time to answer your questions and update you on your case. We will launch a complete investigation, which will include:

  • A site inspection to determine any dangerous conditions that caused the slip and fall accident
  • Securing any evidence of the dangerous condition. It is important to gather evidence as soon as possible after the accident before it “disappears,” whether intentionally by the owners or just due to the temporary nature of it
  • Tracking down witnesses to the slip and fall accident or with knowledge of the dangerous condition
  • Locating proof of prior complaints about the dangerous condition or of prior slip and fall accidents at the same location.

Talk with one of our experienced premises liability attorneys today at (888) NYLAW12.  The consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose by making the call.

Our law firm has offices conveniently located in Manhattan and Long Island.  We represent cases throughout New York, including Long Island, New York City, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County and Suffolk County. Contact Goldstein and Bashner, New York City and Long Island Accident Lawyers, for a free, no obligation case evaluation.

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Five Crucial Things to Do after a Slip and Fall Accident

Posted on December 12, 2011 by admin

Long Island personal injury lawyers Goldstein and Bashner provide five essential steps to take after you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident:

  1. See a doctor. You may not think your injuries are serious, but it is important to seek medical attention after a slip and fall. Often, slip and fall injuries can take days or even weeks after the accident to manifest. Make sure to get complete medical records and receipts to document your treatment.
  2. Report the accident. If your accident takes place in any public or privately owned place, such as a mall, supermarket or restaurant, it is important to report the incident. This helps document that there was an accident and provides information taken while the incident was still fresh in everyone’s mind.
  3. Take photos. With today’s cell phone cameras, it is easy to snap some pictures of the accident scene. These photos can help document the incident and provide insight into who is at fault. Make sure to photograph any hazardous conditions that contributed to the fall, such as a loose floor tile, broken chair or damaged hand rail. A quick picture at the scene will protect you from critical evidence that is destroyed, cleaned up, or temporary in nature. Also make sure to take pictures of any injuries, especially bruising, swelling and wounds.
  4. Collect contact information from any witnesses. Witnesses can corroborate your story and provide a non-biased account of what actually happened. Sometimes they might have even seen something that you missed that will help your case.
  5. Contact a reputable Long Island slip, trip and fall lawyer. A good lawyer will be on your side and provide a team of investigators to collect evidence to help prove your case. They will help preserve and document evidence, contact witnesses, and help you obtain and document any necessary medical care. They will work to protect your rights and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. This may include current and future medical costs, lost wages as well as pain and suffering

If you were injured in a slip and fall accident and want to find out how a lawyer can specifically help with your case, contact Goldstein and Bashner for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your case and answer any questions you have with no obligation. We have offices in East Meadow, Central Islip and mid-town Manhattan.

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Injured in a Long Island Slip and Fall?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by admin

A slip and fall accident can be embarrassing, but it is no laughing matter.  Slip and fall and trip and fall injuries can be serious and affect thousands of people each year.  A property owner can be held liable for your injuries, which is known as premises liability.  If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident or trip and fall accident, you may be entitled to compensation.  The New York and Long Island slip and fall attorneys at Goldstein & Bashner will make sure you are treated fairly and will help you recover monetary damages for your case.

Contact Goldstein & Bashner today at (888) NYLAW12 for a free, no obligation case evaluation.

Slip and fall accidents can occur anywhere, including:

  • Apartment buildings
  • Private homes
  • Retail stores
  • Shopping malls
  • Grocery stores
  • Night clubs
  • Restaurants
  • Parks
  • Office buildings

 
If you have fallen on someone else’s property, you need to be aware of your legal rights.  The liability of the property owner depends on the jurisdiction where the accident occurred, as the rules vary.  Usually a property owner is responsible for injuries that occur on the property when he or she knew of the unsafe condition or caused it and did nothing to correct the problem.  A property owner can also be held liable if he or she should have known about the danger. 

Even if it is discovered that the property owner does not have insurance, it doesn’t mean the case will be dismissed.  Our slip and fall lawyers have been able to get big settlements for our clients by going after the uninsured owner’s assets to help recover compensation.  We have successfully represented slip and fall and trip and fall cases against private landowners, commercial landowners and municipalities. 

Compensation for a slip and fall lawsuit can include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other costs associated with the injuries.

At Goldstein & Bashner, we are experienced in handling premises liability cases and have nearly 40 years of combined legal experience.  We have the knowledge and resources to help you achieve a positive outcome to your case, but we also empathize with you as you cope you’re your serious injuries.  Our slip and fall and trip and fall attorneys have family members that are disabled and we understand the frustration of dealing with a permanent injury.  As our client, you will be represented by someone who has a track record of winning cases and is passionate about seeing you succeed.

We have created a book to help you with the complex legal process following a slip and fall or trip and fall accident.  The book titled, (Title of book goes here and link), addresses everything you need to know following a personal injury, such as:

  • Finding the right attorney
  • Understanding the legal process
  • Steps in personal injury cases

 
Talk with one of our experienced premises liability attorneys today at (888) NYLAW12.  The consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose by making the call.

Our law firm has offices conveniently located in Manhattan and Long Island.  We represent cases throughout New York, including Long Island, New York City, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County and Suffolk County.

A slip and fall accident can be embarrassing, but it is no laughing matter.  Slip and fall and trip and fall injuries can be serious and affect thousands of people each year.  A property owner can be held liable for your injuries, which is known as premises liability.  If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident or trip and fall accident, you may be entitled to compensation.  The New York slip and fall attorneys at Goldstein & Bashner will make sure you are treated fairly and will help you recover monetary damages for your case.

Contact Goldstein & Bashner today at (888) NYLAW12 for a free, no obligation case evaluation.

Slip and fall accidents can occur anywhere, including:

  • Apartment buildings
  • Private homes
  • Retail stores
  • Shopping malls
  • Grocery stores
  • Night clubs
  • Restaurants
  • Parks
  • Office buildings

 
If you have fallen on someone else’s property, you need to be aware of your legal rights.  The liability of the property owner depends on the jurisdiction where the accident occurred, as the rules vary.  Usually a property owner is responsible for injuries that occur on the property when he or she knew of the unsafe condition or caused it and did nothing to correct the problem.  A property owner can also be held liable if he or she should have known about the danger. 

Even if it is discovered that the property owner does not have insurance, it doesn’t mean the case will be dismissed.  Our slip and fall lawyers have been able to get big settlements for our clients by going after the uninsured owner’s assets to help recover compensation.  We have successfully represented slip and fall and trip and fall cases against private landowners, commercial landowners and municipalities. 

Compensation for a slip and fall lawsuit can include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other costs associated with the injuries.

At Goldstein & Bashner, we are experienced in handling premises liability cases and have nearly 40 years of combined legal experience.  We have the knowledge and resources to help you achieve a positive outcome to your case, but we also empathize with you as you cope you’re your serious injuries.  Our slip and fall and trip and fall attorneys have family members that are disabled and we understand the frustration of dealing with a permanent injury.  As our client, you will be represented by someone who has a track record of winning cases and is passionate about seeing you succeed.

We have created a book to help you with the complex legal process following a slip and fall or trip and fall accident.  The book titled, (Title of book goes here and link), addresses everything you need to know following a personal injury, such as:

  • Finding the right attorney
  • Understanding the legal process
  • Steps in personal injury cases

 
Talk with one of our experienced premises liability attorneys today at (888) NYLAW12.  The consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose by making the call.

Our law firm has offices conveniently located in Manhattan and Long Island.  We represent cases throughout New York, including Long Island, New York City, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County and Suffolk County.

Posted in Slip and Fall Library | 2 Comments