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Slip and Fall Attorney in Brooklyn, NY

Fighting for Injured New Yorkers for 39+ Years

Free Consultation - (212) 725-8500

You didn't expect to get hurt. One moment you were walking through an apartment hallway, crossing a grocery store floor, or going down a set of stairs, and then you weren't. Now you're dealing with pain, medical bills, missed work, and an insurance company that already seems to be working against you. A Brooklyn slip and fall attorney can help you hold the responsible property owner accountable and recover the full compensation you're entitled to under New York law. At Michael Gunzburg, P.C., we've spent 39+ years winning cases that other firms couldn't, including results where clients received compensation nearly five times what a previous lawyer had proposed. If you were injured on someone else's property in Brooklyn, call us at 212-725-8500 for a free consultation.

NYC personal injury attorney Michael Gunzburg

Brooklyn Personal Injury Attorney

What Our Clients Say

Who Needs a Slip and Fall Attorney in Brooklyn?

You need a Brooklyn slip and fall attorney if you were injured due to a dangerous property condition that a landlord, business owner, or other responsible party knew about, or should have known about. That includes someone hurt in a Brooklyn apartment building with broken stairs or missing handrails, a shopper who slipped on an unmarked wet floor in a Flatbush supermarket, a pedestrian who tripped on a cracked or uneven sidewalk in Bay Ridge or Sunset Park, a tenant who fell on an icy stoop in Bed-Stuy or Crown Heights, or anyone injured on poorly lit staircases in older Brownstone buildings throughout Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, or Williamsburg. If you were injured somewhere in Brooklyn because a property owner failed to fix or warn about a hazard, you likely have a claim worth pursuing.

Common Situations We Handle

Broken or Collapsed Stairs in Apartment Buildings

Brooklyn's housing stock is old. Many buildings throughout Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, East New York, and Canarsie have stairwells with failing risers, missing handrails, and worn treads that landlords ignore for years. We secured a $475,000 settlement for a 23-year-old woman after a riser collapsed on her sister's Brooklyn apartment staircase, causing ACL and meniscus tears that required total knee replacement surgery.

Wet Floors Without Warning Signs

Grocery stores, bodegas, restaurants, and building lobbies throughout Brooklyn routinely mop floors without posting caution signs. When someone slips and falls, the business's first move is to claim no one saw the spill. We know how to prove otherwise, through maintenance logs, surveillance footage, and incident reports.

Icy and Snow-Covered Sidewalks

Under New York City law, property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks adjacent to their buildings. When a Brooklyn landlord or business owner fails to treat icy pavement after a storm and you fall, they can be held liable. These cases are time-sensitive, conditions change and evidence disappears fast.

Uneven or Defective Sidewalks

Broken concrete, raised slabs, and significant height differentials are common throughout Brooklyn's older neighborhoods. Whether the defect is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner or the City of New York, we investigate who bears legal responsibility and build your case from the ground up.

Poor Lighting in Common Areas

Hallways, stairwells, parking garages, and building entrances throughout Brooklyn apartment complexes are frequently under-lit, especially in older residential buildings. When inadequate lighting causes or contributes to a fall, the property owner can be held liable.

Defective Floors, Mats, or Surfaces in Commercial Properties

Unsecured floor mats, cracked tile, uneven thresholds, and slippery lobby surfaces in Brooklyn retail stores, office buildings, and restaurants are among the most common premises liability hazards we see. Businesses have both the means and the obligation to fix these conditions.

Falls on NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) Property

NYCHA properties throughout Brooklyn, including Gowanus Houses, Red Hook Houses, and Marcy Houses, have documented maintenance issues that cause falls. Claims against NYCHA require strict notice procedures and tight deadlines. We know exactly how to handle them.

Why Hiring a Slip and Fall Lawyer Matters

Going up against a Brooklyn property owner or their insurance company without legal representation puts you at a serious disadvantage from day one. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize payouts. They'll argue the hazard was "open and obvious," that you weren't watching where you were going, or that the property was properly maintained. Without an attorney, you're negotiating against people who do this every day.

The difference representation makes is measurable. Studies show that injury victims who hire attorneys recover 2.4 to 3.5 times more compensation than those who handle claims alone. At Michael Gunzburg, P.C., the results speak louder than that. One client who fell on defective stairs walked away with compensation nearly five times what their previous attorney had proposed. That gap isn't luck. It comes from 39+ years of courtroom experience, deep knowledge of New York premises liability law, and a trial-ready approach that insurance companies take seriously.

We've also proven that evidence property owners claim doesn't exist often does. In one case, a building owner denied for years that they knew falling ice was a hazard, until we uncovered a document showing they had agreed to fix it long before our client was struck. That kind of investigation changes the outcome of a case entirely.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for Slip and Fall Accidents?

Multiple parties can share legal responsibility for a slip and fall injury in Brooklyn, and identifying all of them is part of what we do. The primary responsible party in most cases is the property owner, whether that's a residential landlord, a commercial building owner, or a business operator. But responsibility doesn't always stop there. A property management company may be liable if they controlled maintenance decisions. A tenant business may be responsible for conditions inside their leased space. A cleaning contractor or maintenance company may be liable if their work created the hazard. If the fall occurred on a city sidewalk, the adjacent property owner is generally responsible for maintenance, though the City of New York may bear responsibility in some circumstances. NYCHA, the MTA, or other government entities may be liable for falls on public housing or transit property. A thorough investigation, not just a quick look at the incident report, is how we determine who bears responsibility and build the strongest possible case against them.

What You May Be Entitled to Recover

A successful slip and fall claim in Brooklyn can provide compensation for both the financial losses you've already incurred and the long-term impact of your injuries. You may be entitled to recover:

Economic damages: Past and future medical expenses, including emergency room care, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment. Lost wages from time missed at work. Reduced earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term. Out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications, mobility equipment, and home modifications.

Non-economic damages: Compensation for physical pain and suffering. Emotional distress and anxiety. Loss of enjoyment of activities you could do before your injury. Loss of consortium for the impact on your marriage or family relationships. Permanent disability or disfigurement where applicable.

The value of your case depends on the severity of your injuries, the strength of the evidence, and how aggressively your attorney pursues every element of your losses. We don't settle cases until we know the full picture.

Important Deadlines and Legal Rules

The most important deadline in a Brooklyn slip and fall case is the statute of limitations: you generally have three years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit against a private property owner.

If you fell on government-owned property, a city sidewalk, public park, NYCHA building, MTA station, or other public premises, the deadline is far shorter. You must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the accident. Miss that window and you permanently lose your right to sue. Your lawsuit must then be filed within one year and 90 days.

New York also follows pure comparative negligence rules. Even if you were partially at fault, wearing certain shoes, looking at your phone, or walking quickly, you can still recover compensation. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, but you are not barred from recovery unless you were 100% responsible.

One more rule worth knowing: under New York City's Administrative Code, property owners have a duty to clear snow and ice from adjacent sidewalks within four hours of snowfall ending during daylight hours, and by 11:00 AM when it stops overnight. Violations of this rule are strong evidence of negligence in icy sidewalk cases.

Don't assume time is on your side. Evidence disappears, witnesses move on, surveillance footage is overwritten, and the property's insurance carrier is building a defense from the moment you fell. Call 212-725-8500 as soon as possible.

What Happens After You Call Michael Gunzburg, P.C.

When you call us, you reach an experienced personal injury attorney, not a paralegal, not a call center. Here's what happens from there:

Honest Case Evaluation During Your Free Consultation

We review what happened, look at any photos or documentation you have, and give you a straight answer about the strength of your claim. You'll understand your legal options before you commit to anything.

Immediate Investigation

We move quickly to the accident site before conditions are repaired and evidence disappears. We photograph the hazard, document any code violations, gather maintenance and inspection records, identify witnesses, and secure surveillance footage if it exists. In Brooklyn premises liability cases, getting to the scene fast is often the difference between a strong case and a weak one.

Building Your Case With the Right Experts

We retain engineers, premises safety specialists, and medical experts who can testify about code violations and the long-term impact of your injuries. This expert foundation is what separates credible claims from ones that get dismissed or lowballed.

Aggressive Negotiation

Armed with evidence and expert support, we demand full compensation, for what you've already lost and what you'll lose in the future. Insurance companies know we prepare every case for trial. That preparation is exactly why they negotiate seriously with us.

Trial-Ready Representation When It's Needed

Most cases settle, but not because we push for quick exits. We settle when the offer is genuinely fair. When it isn't, we go to court. Michael Gunzburg has taken cases to jury verdict for 39+ years and has the courtroom record to show for it.

Benefits of Hiring a Brooklyn Slip and Fall Lawyer

You Get Full Compensation, Not Just What the Insurance Company Offers

Insurance adjusters are not on your side. Their job is to pay you as little as possible. An attorney who understands the full scope of your losses, including future medical care, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering, negotiates from a position of knowledge. That's why represented clients consistently recover more.

Your Case Gets Investigated, Not Just Filed

The difference between a $50,000 settlement and a $500,000 settlement often comes down to what evidence gets uncovered. Maintenance logs, building code violations, prior incident reports, and prior complaints about the same hazard can transform a "he said / she said" case into one with clear, documented negligence. We do that work.

Property Owner Defenses Don't Get to Stand Unchallenged

"Open and obvious," "no prior notice," and "comparative negligence" are the most common defenses in slip and fall cases. We know exactly how to attack each one, and we've done it successfully for clients throughout Brooklyn for decades.

You Pay Nothing Unless We Win

We handle every case on a contingency fee basis. No upfront fees, no hourly charges, and no costs owed unless we recover compensation for you. You get the same quality of legal representation that major property owners and insurance companies pay top dollar for, without any financial risk.

Key Takeaways

  • You generally have three years to file a slip and fall lawsuit against a private property owner in New York, but only 90 days to file a Notice of Claim if a government entity is involved.
  • Brooklyn property owners, including landlords, businesses, and management companies, have a legal duty to maintain safe premises and warn visitors of known hazards.
  • New York's pure comparative negligence rule means you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for your fall.
  • Multiple parties can be legally responsible for the same accident, including the property owner, a management company, a cleaning contractor, and a tenant business.
  • One client of Michael Gunzburg, P.C. received compensation nearly five times what a prior attorney had proposed to settle for, the difference between aggressive representation and a quick exit.

Proven Results and Client Experience

Our results in slip and fall and premises liability cases include:

$2.3 Million Jury Verdict: A 33-year-old man slipped on a wet, soapy surface created by a maintenance worker's cleaning machine at the JFK Air Train walkway. The jury found the defendants 100% liable. Post-verdict, the case settled for an additional undisclosed sum.

$1.7 Million Mediated Settlement: A client injured on defective stairs. This is the same type of case where property owners routinely deny all knowledge of the hazard. We proved otherwise.

$550,000 Settlement: A 42-year-old woman slipped and fell on wet, soapy stairs in her apartment building, sustaining injuries that required spinal decompression and fusion surgery with permanent hardware.

$475,000 Settlement: Recovered for a 23-year-old Brooklyn woman after a stair riser collapsed under her foot in her sister's apartment building, leading to ACL and meniscus tears, total knee replacement surgery, and a herniated disc requiring future spinal surgery. The case settled during jury selection.

$750,000 Trial Settlement: For a woman who tripped and fell in a dangerous hole in a public sidewalk, requiring open-back surgery including a laminectomy and discectomy.

These results reflect what happens when cases are built thoroughly and litigated without apology. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, but they do reflect the level of commitment we bring to every client.

Clients consistently tell us they valued how accessible we were throughout their case. One former client said they "actually missed hearing from us" after the case ended. We return calls within 24 hours and keep you informed at every stage, because strong communication doesn't just help you feel better, it helps build a stronger case.

Common Questions About Brooklyn Slip and Fall Cases

How do I know if I have a valid slip and fall case in Brooklyn?

You have a valid case if your injury was caused by a dangerous condition that the property owner created, knew about, or should have discovered through reasonable inspection. The hazard doesn't have to be obvious to everyone, it just needs to have existed long enough that a responsible owner should have fixed or warned about it. Common examples include broken stairs, wet floors without warning signs, icy sidewalks, and building code violations. If you're unsure, call us for a free evaluation. We'll give you an honest assessment.

What if the property owner says they didn't know about the hazard?

"We had no notice" is the most common defense property owners raise in slip and fall cases. It's also frequently false. Maintenance logs, prior complaints from other tenants, prior incident reports, and building inspection records can all prove that the owner knew, or should have known, about the dangerous condition. We investigate these records early, before they're altered or lost.

Can I sue if I fell on a Brooklyn sidewalk?

Yes. In New York City, adjacent property owners are generally responsible for maintaining the sidewalks in front of their buildings. If the property owner failed to repair a broken or uneven sidewalk, you can pursue a claim against them. If the city created the defect through repair or construction work, you may have a claim against New York City, but that requires filing a Notice of Claim within 90 days. An attorney can investigate city records to identify who holds responsibility.

What if I was partially at fault? Can I still recover?

Yes. New York follows pure comparative negligence. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you're not barred from recovery. If a jury finds you 25% at fault and awards $200,000 in damages, you recover $150,000. Property owners frequently try to shift blame to victims by claiming the hazard was visible or that you weren't paying attention. We push back hard against those arguments.

How long does a Brooklyn slip and fall case take?

Timelines vary. Cases with clear liability and well-documented injuries can settle within several months to a year. Cases involving serious injuries, disputed fault, government defendants, or complex ownership structures often take longer. We won't push you toward a settlement just to close the case, we settle when the offer reflects the full value of your losses, which means waiting until you've reached maximum medical improvement.

What if I slipped and fell in a Brooklyn store or restaurant?

You can pursue a premises liability claim against the business and, in many cases, the building owner. Businesses have a duty to maintain safe floors, address spills promptly, and post warnings when hazards exist. If a grocery store, restaurant, deli, or retail shop in Brooklyn failed to do that and you were hurt, we can evaluate your claim and investigate whether their own records show prior knowledge of the hazard.

Do I need to have photos of where I fell?

Photos are helpful, but not having them doesn't end your case. We investigate the accident site ourselves, often within days of being retained. We document the hazard, check for code violations, and gather surveillance footage if available. That said, if you're still at the scene when you fall, take photos if you can do so safely. Document the condition before anything is cleaned up or repaired.

What if the landlord fixes the hazard right after my accident?

That's actually common, and we know how to handle it. Repairs made after an accident can sometimes be used as evidence that the owner recognized the condition was dangerous. We move quickly to document the original condition through photos, prior tenant complaints, maintenance records, and witness statements.

Why should I choose Michael Gunzburg, P.C. over another Brooklyn personal injury firm?

Two reasons stand out. First, tenure and trial record: 39+ years of litigation experience, with jury verdicts and multimillion-dollar settlements across New York City's courts. Second, outcomes: we've recovered compensation for clients that was nearly five times what their prior attorney proposed, not because we're aggressive for its own sake, but because we do the investigative and legal work that supports that kind of result. You also get direct attorney contact throughout your case. Michael Gunzburg handles your case personally.

How much does it cost to hire a Brooklyn slip and fall attorney?

Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. We also advance case expenses throughout the litigation. You have nothing to lose by calling and everything to gain.

Areas We Serve

Michael Gunzburg, P.C. represents slip and fall victims throughout Brooklyn and all five New York City boroughs. In Brooklyn, we handle cases in Park Slope, Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Borough Park, Flatbush, Canarsie, East New York, and Brownsville. We also serve clients in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, as well as Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Our clients often get injured in apartment buildings, multi-family homes, retail stores, restaurants, subway stations, and on public sidewalks throughout Kings County. We offer home and hospital visits when clients cannot travel to our office.

Schedule Your Free Consultation With a Slip and Fall Attorney in Brooklyn

If you were hurt on someone else's property in Brooklyn, time matters. Evidence gets repaired or replaced, surveillance footage gets overwritten, and the property owner's insurance company has already started building their defense. You have three years in most cases, but the sooner you act, the stronger your case will be, and if a government entity is involved, you may have as little as 90 days.

At Michael Gunzburg, P.C., you pay nothing unless we win. The consultation is free, and we'll give you an honest answer about your claim with no pressure. Call us at 212-725-8500 today or contact us online. We return calls within 24 hours, and we'll be with you every step of the way.

Other Personal Injury Services We Offer in Brooklyn