Cellar Door Personal Injury Lawyer New York: The Bronx

Serving New York: The Bronx | Grand Concourse | Riverdale | Pelham | Fordham | Co-op City

One fear every New Yorker has experienced at one time or another is falling through a cellar door while walking down the sidewalk. The truth: It has happened, but it is rare.

What is more likely is that you could trip and fall over the door itself, the door’s hardware, or a door could be opened right into you. These are situations known to a Bronx Cellar Door Injury Lawyer, and we know how to handle these cases when they happen. If you’ve been injured after falling over a cellar door, please call the Bronx’s best personal injury lawyer as soon as you can.

New York City requires that cellar doors do not bend more than one inch when someone walks across them, that they are skid resistant and that they kept in a safe condition. If the door creates a danger for pedestrians, it is the building owner’s responsibility to repair or replace the door immediately. Unfortunately, some old, decaying cellar doors have been neglected by the owner or business operator responsible for its maintenance. Hardware on the door like an exterior padlock or hinges that stick up out of the sidewalk present a tripping hazard. It is also the responsibility of the building owner or business operator to make sure that a door isn’t opened into a passing pedestrian, which can cause an injury. When doors are open, it’s the responsibility of building owners or business operators to warn pedestrians either by posting an employee or taking other measures to redirect pedestrian traffic. Even poor lighting on a wet night can result in a nasty trip-and-fall accident that could be the fault of the building owner and not the pedestrian. When good procedures aren’t followed, it is usually an innocent passer-by who pays the price.

While injuries involving cellar doors that collapse are unusual, they do happen. These steel trapdoors are designed to open outward and there would have to be a structural defect for them to crumble inward and send a pedestrian crashing to the basement floor. But if they haven’t been properly maintained, they can become rusty and unsound. In those instances, building owners have been held liable for very large damages.

Injuries suffered in falls involving cellar doors can be debilitating. Broken hips or knees require expensive joint replacement, months of recuperation and therapy, and can lead to deep psychological fear when it comes to walking across a cellar door. Broken wrists or head injuries can lead to a loss of work, as well as pain and suffering. These are tragic outcomes, and if it’s happened to you or a loved one, you deserve to be compensated. A Bronx Cellar Door Injury Lawyer is committed to holding those responsible accountable.

A Bronx Cellar Door Injury Lawyer will conduct a full investigation, inspect the doors that caused the injury, and will fight for you with building managers, business owners, and insurance companies, who will line all up to try to deny you the compensation you deserve.

At Feiner & Lavy, we pride ourselves on being able to handle a variety of different cases, and our expertise in the legal process enables us to move quickly and efficiently in filing your case, investigating your claim and helping you through a very difficult process. We are a flexible firm with a broad set of expertise that is well respected in the legal community.