Trip & Fall on Public Sidewalks

In an effort to limit the liability of the City of New York for injuries caused to members of the general public from sidewalk defects, the City has passed section 7-210 of the Administrative Code of The City of New York. This section shifts liability for defective sidewalk injuries to adjoining real property owners and requires the owner to maintain the sidewalk in a reasonably safe condition. Reasonably safe condition includes, but is not limited to, failure to install, construct, repave, repair or replace defective sidewalk flags and the failure to remove snow, ice, dirt or other material from the sidewalk. Excluded from the law are owners of one, two, or three family residences that are at least partially occupied by the owner. New York City Administrative Code 7-210 has made it significantly easier to recover damages for injuries occuring while walking upon defective New York City sidewalks.