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Property owners in New York have a duty to keep their buildings reasonably safe. That covers more than floors. It means working door locks and lighting where crime is foreseeable, ceilings and fixtures that don't come down, and elevators that are inspected. When an owner ignores a known danger and someone gets hurt, the owner, and their insurance, can be responsible.
Generally 3 years. Buildings owned by the City, NYCHA or another public body require a notice of claim within 90 days.
Cases we handle
If it just happened
More detail in our after-an-accident guide.
How we build the case
That the danger was known: repair requests, tenant complaints, 311 calls and building violations
That the owner failed to act: broken locks, burnt-out lights or missing guards left for weeks or months
That the failure caused the harm: how a working lock, light or repair would have prevented it
Compensation
Medical and mental-health treatment
Lost income and future earning power
Pain, suffering and emotional distress
Costs of moving or making your home safe
Every case is different, and no lawyer can promise a result. Our settlement calculator shows how claims are first estimated, with the math visible.
Who leads these cases
“The lock on our lobby door was broken for months. I thought what happened to me was just bad luck. They showed me it wasn't, and they were patient with me through all of it.”
Example results
Example result Settled before trial
$425,000
Illustrative amount, not a real case
Negligent security Premises Liability Tone: Favorable
A night-shift nurse was attacked inside her building's lobby. The front door lock had been reported broken in fourteen work orders over five months, and the lobby light was out.
The tenants' own repair requests were the strongest evidence in the case.
Example result Settled without trial
$540,000
Illustrative amount, not a real case
Ceiling collapse Premises Liability Tone: Favorable
A tenant suffered a concussion and neck injuries when a waterlogged ceiling fell. Time-stamped repair requests in the building's portal, all ignored, proved the landlord knew.
Example results for a sample website, not real cases. Past results never guarantee a future outcome.
Common questions
Sometimes. A landlord isn't responsible for every crime. But if crime in or near the building was foreseeable and the landlord left the front door lock broken, the lights out or the cameras dead, a jury can hold them responsible. Larger New York apartment buildings must keep self-closing, self-locking entry doors.
It's a premises case, which follows the same idea: did the owner create the danger or know about it? Badly stacked shelves, loose ceiling tiles and unsecured displays are common examples. Keep the receipt or bank record that shows you were there, and photograph the area.
Notice means the owner knew about the danger, or it was there long enough that a careful owner would have found it. It is often the whole case. That's why your old complaints, repair tickets and texts to the super can be the most valuable evidence you have.
More answers on our FAQ page. General information for New York, not legal advice about your situation.
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