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Building & Premises Liability in Washington Heights

Washington Heights Premises Liability Lawyer

If you are injured as a result of a defect in a building, store or other premises you may have a right to receive compensation for your injury. Many times a defect like a collapsed ceiling, or broken step, or protruding piece or metal will cause someone to be injured. Washington Heights Renters have the right to expect their home, apartment or commercial space will be maintained at the level necessary to prevent injuries caused by hazards, unsafe design or insufficient security.

Many people are injured each year by slipping and/or tripping resulting in a fall in a building or premises. Quite often, the cause of the fall is a defect in the floor or stair causing the person to stumble. These cases come under the title of premises liability because the owner/operator of the premises is responsible to maintain the grounds in a safe and hazard free condition. A broken stair, damaged or cracked sidewalk, foreign substance on the floor, uneven floor surfaces, poorly marked changes in elevation, slippery surfaces (due to snow, water, ice) uneven elevators, and faulty escalators are all common examples of Washington Heights slip/trip and fall premises accidents. These accidents can occur in a variety of locations such as a street, sidewalk, office building, private home, apartment building, grocery store, and city owned locations.

Causes of Buildings Accidents

At Kerner Law Group, P.C., our attorneys and legal team have over 30 years experience in dealing with accidents arising from building related problems such as:

  • Ceiling Collapses
  • Stairway Falls
  • Building Defects
  • Elevator/Escalator Accidents
  • Lead Poisoning
  • Slip, Trip and Falls
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Questions About Premises Liability Claims
What is Premises Liability?

Property owners and their managing agents are responsible for keeping their property safe and warning tenants and visitors of any dangerous conditions. They are also responsible to properly maintain their premises by cleaning, inspecting and repairing any hazardous conditions. If they fail to do so, they can be held liable for any injuries that result because of an accident due to a dangerous condition.

If I fell in a store and hurt myself, will I be able to sue the store?

A grocery store has a duty to use reasonable and ordinary care to keep the store safe for its customers. The store, through its employees, has a responsibility to make reasonable inspections to discover dangerous conditions, such as spills, or broken tiles or even dangerous display cases and to make them safe. If there is a spill, the injured person would have to prove that the store had “notice” of the condition and had a chance to clean it up. However, if the spill was there on the floor for an unreasonably long time, then we may be able to show that the store had constructive notice of the dangerous condition and had enough time that the spill should’ve been taken care of.

If I sue my landlord can he kick me out of my apartment?

A tenant with a lease is protected from eviction during the lease period so long as the tenant does not violate any substantial provision of the lease or any local housing laws or codes. If you sue your landlord and have a lease, the landlord cannot kick you out.

Landlords are prohibited from harassing or retaliating against tenants who exercise their rights. For example, landlords may not seek to evict tenants solely because tenants (a) make good faith complaints to a government agency about violations of any health or safety laws; or (b) take good faith actions to protect rights under their lease; or (c) participate in tenant organizations. Tenants may collect damages from landlords who violate this law, which applies to all rentals except owner-occupied dwellings with fewer than four units. (Real Property Law §223-b)

What is the Landlord’s Duty of Repair?

Landlords of multiple dwellings must keep the apartments and the building’s public areas in “good repair” and clean and free of vermin, garbage or other offensive material. Landlords are required to maintain electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating and ventilating systems and appliances landlords install, such as refrigerators and stoves, in good and safe working order.

My child was diagnosed with lead paint poisoning. Can I sue my landlord?

Landlords must protect against the possibility that children will be poisoned by peeling of dangerous lead-based paint. Federal and local laws require that landlords of multiple dwellings built before 1960 (or between 1960 and 1978 where the landlord knows there is lead paint) must find out if a child under seven years old lives in an apartment, and inspect that apartment for lead paint hazards.

The landlord must keep records of all notices, inspections and repair of lead paint hazards, and other matters related to lead paint law. Landlords of such dwellings in New York City must also provide their tenants with a pamphlet prepared by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). 42 U.S.C.A § 4851; NYC Admin. Code § 27-2056.

Have a different question?
Everyone Deserves Their Fair Day In Court

Time may be limited to file an injury claim. Don’t wait. Let us help you seek the justice you deserve. We offer Free Consultations at your home, the hospital and in our office.

Why Choose Our Firm

Kerner Law Group, P.C. has a track record of representing clients who have been hurt due to negligence or preventable accidents. Having a comprehensive investigation of the accident scene immediately after it happens is crucial for identifying a long-term strategy for protecting you. Our  law firm can help you with many different aspects of your claim including:

legal team on your side
  • Reviewing your paperwork.
  • Filing the initial legal claim against the insurance company.
  • Helping you if you have been denied.
  • Assisting you with recovering full and fair compensation for the injuries you have sustained.

Hiring an attorney you trust with your case is about more than just finding a lawyer with experience. For aggressive and caring representation, put Kerner Law Group, P.C. on your side today!

About Washington Heights

About Things To Do in Washington Heights Manhattan

Washington Heights is located in the county of New York, which is in the state of New York.

  • Population (approx.): 153,000
  • Geo coordinates: 40.8417°N, 73.9394°W

Washington Heights is a neighborhood in the uppermost part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest natural point on Manhattan Island by Continental Army troops to defend the area from the British forces during the American Revolutionary War. Washington Heights is bordered by Inwood to the north along Dyckman Street, by Harlem to the south along 155th Street, by the Harlem River and Coogan’s Bluff to the east, and by the Hudson River to the west. Washington Heights, which before the 20th century was sparsely populated by luxurious mansions and single-family homes, rapidly developed during the early 1900s as it became connected to the rest of Manhattan via the A, C, and 1 subway lines. Beginning as a middle-class neighborhood with many Irish and Eastern European immigrants, the neighborhood has at various points been home to communities of German Jews, Greek Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Russian Americans. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, White residents began to leave the neighborhood for nearby suburbs as the Black and Latino populations increased. Dominican Americans became the dominant group by the 1980s despite facing economic difficulties, leading the neighborhood to its status in the 21st century as the most prominent Dominican community in the United States. While crime became a serious issue during the crack cocaine crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, in the 2000s Washington Heights became a much safer community and began to experience some upward mobility as well as gentrification. Washington Heights is set apart among Manhattan neighborhoods for its high residential density despite the lack of modern construction, with the majority of its few high-rise buildings belonging to the NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Other higher education institutions include Yeshiva University and Boricua College. The neighborhood has generous access to green space in Fort Washington Park, Highbridge Park, and Fort Tryon Park, home to the historical landmarks the Little Red Lighthouse, the High Bridge Water Tower, and the Cloisters respectively. Other points of interest include Audubon Terrace, the Morris–Jumel Mansion, the United Palace, the Audubon Ballroom, and the Fort Washington Avenue Armory. Washington Heights is part of Manhattan Community District 12, and its primary ZIP Codes are 10032, 10033, and 10040. It is served by the 33rd and 34th Precincts of the New York City Police Department and Engine Companies 67, 84, and 93 of the New York City Fire Department. Politically, it is part of the New York City Council’s 7th and 10th districts.

Airports Rail and Roads in Washington Heights Manhattan

Roads

  • Eleventh Avenue (Manhattan)
  • Lenox Avenue
  • Third Avenue
  • Tenth Avenue (Manhattan)
  • Audubon Avenue
  • Fort Washington Avenue
  • Catalonia
  • Trans-Manhattan Expressway
  • Interstate 95
  • Cabrini Boulevard
  • Cross Bronx Expressway
  • Harlem River Drive
  • Henry Hudson Parkway
  • New York State Route 9A
  • 155th Street (Manhattan)
  • St. Nicholas Avenue
  • 125th Street (Manhattan)
  • Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)

Bodies of Water

  • Hudson River
  • Hudson

Nearby Airports

  • John F. Kennedy Airport
Zoos and Parks in Washington Heights Manhattan

Parks

  • Holcombe Rucker Park which is on 280 West 155th Street, New York.
  • Fort Washington Park which is on Hudson River Greenway, New York.
  • Mullaly Park which is on 1055 Jerome Avenue, Bronx.
  • Bennett Park which is on W 183rd St &, Fort Washington Avenue, New York.
  • Highbridge Park which is on W 190th St &, Amsterdam Avenue, New York.
  • J. Hood Wright Park which is on W. 173 St &, Haven Avenue, New York.
  • Macombs Dam Park which is on E. 157 St &, West 161st Street, Bronx.
  • Jackie Robinson Recreation Center which is on 85 Bradhurst Avenue, New York.
  • Bridge Park which is on Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx.
  • Lily Brown Playground which is on 915 Riverside Drive, New York.

Museums

  • Morris-Jumel Mansion which is on 65 Jumel Terrace, New York.
  • Hispanic Society Museum & Library which is on 613 West 155th Street, New York.
  • The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center which is on 3940 Broadway, New York.
  • Children’s Cultural Center of Native America which is on 550 West 155th Street, New York.
  • Monumento Héroes De Guerra which is on 3980 Broadway, New York.
  • Ruben M which is on 177 Fort Washington Avenue, New York.
  • QUEENSBORO COMMERCIAL QUALITY CORP which is on W 167th St, Bronx.
  • Nelson Avenue Graffiti Art Wall which is on 1100-1168 Nelson Avenue, Bronx.
  • Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling which is on 898 Saint Nicholas Avenue, New York.
  • Freemans Alley which is on 321 Edgecombe Avenue, New York.
Nearby Towns to Washington Heights Manhattan

Nearby Towns and Suburbs

  • Fort Lee is 1 mile to the west.
  • Inwood is 1 mile to the north.
  • Tremont is 1 mile to the east.
  • Morrisania is 1 mile to the south-east.
  • Melrose is 1 mile to the south-east.
  • University Heights is 2 miles to the north-east.
  • Edgewater is 2 miles to the south-west.
  • Harlem is 2 miles to the south.
  • Fordham is 2 miles to the north-east.
  • Morningside Heights is 2 miles to the south-west.
  • East Tremont is 2 miles to the east.
  • Cliffside Park is 2 miles to the south-west.
  • Leonia is 2 miles to the north-west.
  • Spuyten Duyvil is 2 miles to the north-east.
  • Palisades Park is 3 miles to the west.
  • Englewood Cliffs is 3 miles to the north.
Driving Directions To Kerner Law Group, P.C.

Washington Heights New York, NY, USA

Get on NY-9A N from Riverside Dr
5 min (1.0 mi)

Head southwest on Broadway/Juan Rodriguez Way toward Broadway/Juan Rodriguez Way
0.2 mi

Turn right onto W 165th St
0.2 mi

Turn right onto Riverside Dr
0.5 mi

Use the left lane to take the NY-9A N/H Hudson Pwky ramp to Bronx
0.1 mi

Follow NY-9A N to Henry Hudson Parkway East in Bronx. Take exit 20 from NY-9A N
4 min (3.2 mi)

Merge onto NY-9A N
Toll road
3.1 mi

Take exit 20 toward W 239 St
0.1 mi

Take Riverdale Ave to W 231st St
4 min (0.8 mi)

Merge onto Henry Hudson Parkway East
0.1 mi

At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto W 239th St
226 ft

Continue onto Riverdale Ave
0.5 mi

Turn left onto W 231st St
Destination will be on the left
0.1 mi

Kerner Law Group, P.C.
269 W 231st St, Bronx, NY 10463, United States

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