Keeping Safe When Driving on the Highway
Every year, around 300 people are killed on New York’s highways as the result of a motor vehicle accident, according to the New York…
A fall on an icy parking lot, a wet supermarket floor or a broken stair can change your life in a second. If someone else’s carelessness caused your fall on Long Island, Zlotolow & Associates, P.C. can help you hold them responsible. Our slip and fall lawyers work from our office in Melville and represent injured people across Suffolk and Nassau County.
We have recovered millions of dollars for our clients through settlements and verdicts. The consultation is free, and you pay no fee unless we win.
On Long Island, most slip and fall cases happen in the places people go every day: strip-mall and supermarket parking lots, big-box stores, restaurants, apartment and condo complexes, office buildings and sidewalks. Winter adds ice and snow, and our older housing stock adds broken steps and poor lighting.
Falls cause hip and wrist fractures, knee and shoulder injuries, back and neck injuries, and head injuries. Older adults face the highest risk of a fall that changes how they live.
A property owner is not automatically responsible for every fall. Under New York law, you generally need to show that the owner or the business in control of the property either created the dangerous condition or knew, or should have known, about it and did not fix it or warn people in time. A hazard that was visible and present long enough to be noticed can be enough.
Snow and ice cases have their own rules. Under the storm-in-progress rule, a property owner usually is not responsible for a fall that happens while a storm is still going on. The owner has a reasonable time after the storm ends to clear and treat the area. Weather records and the exact timing of your fall often decide these cases, so it matters to act quickly.
On Long Island, the town, village or county often owns the sidewalk or road where a fall happens. Many of them can only be held responsible if they had prior written notice of the defect, and claims against them have short deadlines.
Suffolk County lawsuits are heard in State Supreme Court in Riverhead and Central Islip, and Nassau County lawsuits in Mineola. From our Melville office, we handle cases in both counties.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique.
Responsibility can fall on the property owner, a store or restaurant that leases the space, a property management company, or a snow removal or maintenance contractor. In apartment buildings, landlords can be responsible for hazards in common areas.
At Zlotolow & Associates, we move quickly to preserve the evidence that proves notice: surveillance video, incident reports, cleaning and inspection logs, and weather data. Stores often keep video for only a short time.
Depending on your case, you may recover:
If you were partly at fault, New York’s comparative fault rule reduces your recovery by your share of fault but does not bar it.
Fell in Nassau County? See our Nassau County slip and fall attorneys. We also handle slip and fall cases in New York City.
We represent people injured in falls across Long Island, from Melville, Huntington, Commack and Patchogue in Suffolk County to Hicksville, Westbury, Hempstead and Garden City in Nassau County.
If you were hurt in a fall, contact Zlotolow & Associates to schedule a free consultation. Learn more about our Long Island personal injury practice.
You may. You generally need to show that the store created the hazard or knew, or should have known, about it and did not fix it or warn customers in time. Evidence such as surveillance video and cleaning logs can prove this, so contact a lawyer quickly.
The owner may be responsible if the ice was there long enough to be treated. Under New York’s storm-in-progress rule, an owner is usually not responsible while a storm is ongoing, but must act within a reasonable time after it ends.
Outside New York City, the town, village or county is usually responsible for public sidewalks, often only if it had prior written notice of the defect. A notice of claim is usually due within 90 days.
You can still recover. New York’s comparative fault rule reduces your compensation by your share of fault but does not bar your claim.
Generally three years from the date of the fall. Claims against a town, village or county require a notice of claim within 90 days and a lawsuit within one year and 90 days.
Usually in New York State Supreme Court: Riverhead or Central Islip for Suffolk County cases, and Mineola for Nassau County cases.
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, so you pay no fee unless we recover compensation for you, and the consultation is free.
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