Who is responsible for repairing broken sidewalks?

You may be walking home from the corner store when you trip on a crack in the sidewalk, break your arm and injure your back. These injuries can take a long time to heal from and will likely lead to lots of medical bills that you have a tough time paying if you are too injured to go to work. You may wonder if it is possible to hold the property owner responsible for failing to repair the sidewalk where you were injured.

New York City Code

Under New York City Code, private property owners whose premises touch a sidewalk are responsible for keeping the sidewalk in “reasonably safe condition.” This includes installing, constructing, repaving and repairing sidewalk flags on the sidewalks in front of or touching their property.

Private property owners whose premises touch a sidewalk may be liable for any injuries caused by an improperly maintained sidewalk. However, this does not apply to one-, two- or three-family properties that are exclusively residential and, in whole or in part, are owner-occupied.

Premises liability and negligence

Negligence can be a part of a premises liability lawsuit. A person is negligent if they owed you a duty, which they failed to fulfill, and this failure was foreseeable and caused your injuries.

If you suffered injuries on someone else’s property such as broken bones, head injuries or back or spine injuries you may want to learn more about whether you can pursue compensation from the party responsible for your injuries. This can help you make ends meet while you are recovering from your injuries as well as pay the bills associated with your injuries.