Ice and snow pose a danger to New Yorkers from above and below

February 20, 2014 (Press-News.org) Ice and snow pose a danger to New Yorkers from above and below

Article provided by Law Office of Stephen R. Krawitz, LLC
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Most New Yorkers are familiar with the dangers of icy sidewalks. Similarly, stores and businesses operating in the city are generally aware they must keep their sidewalks and entryways free from slippery conditions even in the midst of winter. A failure to do so can lead to injuries to the store's customers and leave the store owner liable under New York premises liability law.

When severe winter conditions exist, however, there is danger from above as well as below. CBS New York recently reported on the One57 building, currently under construction, and the dangers falling ice and snow are posing to pedestrians in Midtown Manhattan.

On February 4, ice and snow fell periodically for several hours from the One57 building, prompting construction workers to block off an area of sidewalk to prevent pedestrians from becoming injured. The One57 building will be the tallest condominium skyscraper in Manhattan -- a good addition to the city's skyline, but if snow, ice and other objects fall from the construction site, also a city hazard. Fortunately, due to the precautions taken no one was injured, but the situation was a reminder that unmaintained property can be dangerous to passerby.

"They [the ice chunks] were hitting cars and buses as it was going by and they were making big, big thumps on the ground, especially coming from that high up," resident Lee Rosenbloom told local news affiliate CBS 2. City officials and the Department of Buildings cautioned pedestrians to remain careful and vigilant about falling ice and snow debris.

Property owners are legally responsible to clear off ice and snow when reasonably possible. Under the City Administrative Code, all parts of a building must be maintained in a safe condition. In addition, the law holds that owners with buildings that have roofs or ledges that have a likelihood of posing danger to pedestrians must take reasonable actions to remove that threat, including removing any buildup of ice and snow.

From Hurricane Sandy to some of the most severe snowstorms in years, New York City has experienced severe weather of every type in a seemingly short time. The winter snows show no signs of stopping and the warming weather expected in the next few months is likely to create even more ice buildup on the rooftops of buildings.

New York City pedestrians who are injured, whether on an unmaintained sidewalk or by falling snow and ice, should contact an experienced New York City personal injury attorney to discuss their legal options and to get help with medical costs, lost wages and other expenses stemming from the injury.