Premises Liability

On September 15, 2016, in Personal Injury, Premises Liability, by John A. Weber IV, ESQ.

Premises Liability

This article is intended to give some insight into some interesting New York caselaw with regards to premises liability.

Eischelbaum v. Douglas Elliman, LLC, 52 AD3d 210 – a real estate broker does not possess the required level of control over a property they are showing to be held liable for dangerous conditions on the property.

Johnson v. City of New York, 7 A.D.3d 577 – when a property manager is furnished with violent crime statistics by housing authority police, a question of fact exists as to forseeability of crime and the need for security.

Singh v. United Cerebral Palsy of New York City, Inc., 72 AD3d 272 – where there is no exclusive service agreement for malfunctioning automatic elevator door for the premises, an issue of fact exists as to exclusive control and where premises liability lies.

These are a few of the issues that arise with premises liability actions in New York.  And the fact of the matter is that this type of personal injury action is very complex.  But, it is important to grasp premises liability concepts because not knowing where liability lies, can cost you a very lucrative award for injuries that are sustained at the premises.

The standard of care is that a landlord or property owner has a duty to maintain the property in a reasonably safe manner.  Other factors that arise in these cases are the duty to warn, relationship of plaintiff to the property (tenant, licensee, etc.), forseeability, dangerous conditions, defects in design or construction and actual and constructive notice.

Personal Injury Attorneys

If you or someone you know has been injured on a piece of property owned by another person, call the Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC at (516) 858-2620 to speak to a personal injury attorney.

A pedestrian knockdown is one type of personal injury case that is growing in number on Long Island.  A pedestrian knockdown is when an individual is struck by a motor vehicle and suffers injuries.  A pedestrian knockdown does not necessarily imply criminal conduct such as that in a hit and run, texting while driving or DWI incidents; although they can.  Often times, pedestrian knockdown cases arise out of nothing more than a mere accident.  Just the latest example of this type of accident occurred in Copiague and was reported by News 12.

Whether arising out of criminal conduct or not, pedestrian knockdown cases almost always result in personal injuries.  It is common sense that the human body is not built to withstand an impact from a motor vehicle in motion.  Therefore, when a pedestrian knockdown occurs, the victim has anxiety and a lot of questions.  It is important to understand that a personal injury attorney can assist you in answering questions such as how to seek medical advice, whose insurance pays for medical treatment, how liability for the accident is assessed and determining if a personal injury lawsuit should be commenced.  Having answers to these questions will allow the victim to focus all of their energy on recovering and calm the concerns of their family.  Most people often underestimate the importance of consulting with a personal injury attorney.  It is important to remember that being injured in an accident is very traumatic and scary.  The experience is exacerbated by not knowing how to handle the “fall-out” from the accident or lessened by having people around you who do.

Personal Injury Attorney in Mineola

If you or someone you are concerned about have been injured in a motor vehicle accident of any kind, especially a pedestrian knockdown, call the Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC at 516-858-2620 today. Remember, successful litigation is no accident.

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Slip and Fall Accidents in New York

On February 20, 2016, in Litigation, Personal Injury, by John A. Weber IV, ESQ.

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Slip and Fall Accidents

In New York a “slip and fall” accident generally means that a person has slipped on a foreign substance (i.e. water, oil, debris, etc.). “To recover in a slip and fall action, a plaintiff must be able to show that the defendant (or his employees) failed to remove the hazard or foreign substance from the floor creating a dangerous condition, or that the defendant (or his employees) failed to warn the plaintiff of a dangerous condition that could not readily be detected. The defendant must either be actively responsible for the slippery condition—as, for example, where the defendant’s employee has applied excessive polish or spilled a slippery substance on the floor—or must have actual or constructive notice of the hazard.” See Khanimov v. McDonald’s Corp., 121 A.D.3d 1052, 995 N.Y.S.2d 191, 193 (2d Dep’t 2014). 3-27 New York Practice Guide: Negligence § 27.01 (2015). Often times, proving that the owner had “notice” is the most difficult aspect of “slip and fall” cases. Actual notice is an express statement detailing the condition. Constructive notice refers to the reasonable forseeability of the condition, inferred from the specific circumstances. Because the ability to prove notice will decrease over time, it is important to act quickly and seek the advice of an attorney if you are injured in a “slip and fall” accident.  An attorney who practices in the area of personal injury law would be best suited to answer questions and give direction on how to proceed in these cases.

Personal Injury Attorneys

If you have suffered an injury due to a “slip and fall” accident, call the Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC at (516) 858-2620 to speak to a personal injury attorney today!

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Passenger Injured in Motor Vehicle Accident

On February 20, 2016, in Litigation, Personal Injury, by John A. Weber IV, ESQ.

auto accident imagePassenger Injured in Motor Vehicle Accident

Passengers  injured in motor vehicle accidents should be aware of the procedures that are in place to process medical treatment and litigation. Some people do not realize that No-Fault will cover the medical expenses for a passenger of a vehicle; not just the driver. It is important to notify the medical providers that the injuries are the result of a motor vehicle accident so that the No-Fault forms are completed in a timely fashion. This will avoid time consuming corrections after the fact. As far as litigation is concerned, one particular point often evokes feelings of discomfort on the part of passengers. It is quite often in the best interest of the passenger to file the suit against the driver of the vehicle they were in as well as the driver of the other vehicle. This is due to the fact that a question of liability may exist which is indeterminable at the time the lawsuit is filed. In order to ensure that the passenger will be compensated for the injuries they sustained, the driver of both vehicles should be named as Defendants.  More often than not, this means that passengers should have a different personal injury attorney than the driver of the vehicle they were riding in.  There are extenuating circumstances that are exceptions to this thought however.  One thing is for sure though.  Seeking the advice of legal counsel as soon after the accident as possible can strengthen your case.  Not because the attorney will change or shape the story of what happened, but rather, because the attorney will guide the processing of the case from the onset to help expedite your claim and move you towards any possible recovery.

Personal Injury Attorneys

If you or a loved one were involved in a motor vehicle accident, please call the Law Firm of Vaughn, Weber & Prakope, PLLC at (516) 858-2620 to speak to an attorney today!

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