Ice is often treated as an inconvenience, but in reality, it is one of the most dangerous conditions New Yorkers face each winter. A single slip can cause life-altering injuries, including sprains, broken bones, herniated spinal discs, and traumatic brain injuries. For elderly individuals these falls can be devastating, permanently changing their independence and quality of life.
Many serious slip-and-fall cases involve commercial properties—places that invite the public onto their premises. Retailers, apartment complexes, and construction sites have a responsibility to address known hazards. Over the years, we’ve seen people injured after slipping on untreated ice in store parking lots, on icy job sites, and while navigating icy stairways at apartment buildings.
Legally, the key issue in these cases is notice. A property owner must have had notice of the icy condition for a case to succeed. Notice can be actual, meaning they knew about the ice, or constructive, meaning the ice existed long enough that they should have known. Without notice, a case may be dismissed. With it, there is often a strong path to recovery.
At New York Injury Law, we hold negligent property owners accountable when dangerous conditions are ignored—because these injuries are preventable, and people deserve better.
