New York residents walk onto property owned by other individuals and businesses all the time. In fact, most of us enter property owned by others every single day and multiple times a day. Whether the property is a supermarket, a store, an office, a home or a stretch of land, the owner of that property is legally bound to keep the property free of dangerous conditions that could hurt people who legally enter the property.
Some of the dangerous conditions that property owners are obligated to fix involve debris, unidentified hazards and spills. Snow and ice must also be removed in a timely manner in order to prevent slip and fall events on surrounding sidewalks and property.
Another thing that property owners must do is to maintain the security of their premises. In other words, walkways and parking lots need to be monitored and safe from crime, so visitors are not attacked or otherwise hurt due to criminal activity. Property owners could be held liable if they fail to meet this burden of responsibility.
What may seem like a harmless spill of soda, could lead to a fatal or disabling accident. For this reason, property owners have to complete their due diligence to resolve any and all hazards quickly on their properties. When serious injuries or death occur on a New York property owner’s premises, due to that property owner’s negligence, he or she could be held liable for the cost of medical care, lost income, pain and suffering and other costs and damages stemming from the incident.
