New York Balconies Can Be A Danger – NYC Building Department Sweeps City

This week in Chelsea, a Brooklyn man fell off of a third floor balcony and onto a steel fence, impaling his head and sending him to Bellevue Hospital for a week’s stay in the emergency room. In March, A New York city man fell to his death from his apartment balcony on East 39th Street in Manhattan after a loose railing sent the man falling.

After the second incident, the New York City buildings department launched a safety sweep that included hundreds of balcony inspection across the five boroughs of the city. During the expansive safety inspection, NYC authorities found shocking conditions in some of the buildings, including deteriorating concrete, loose railings, and loose posts. Still, 800 landlords have failed to file inspection reports with the buildings department, which means that residents are not allowed out on their own balconies – and those spotted using their balconies will have their patio doors sealed from the inside.

While some believe that the inspections are overkill in the wake of a tragic but isolated fall accident, others believe that building owners should be more responsible for the conditions of their buildings, especially if being lax on fixes leads to tenants falling to their death. If a landlord or property owner is aware of balcony problems before a fall or injury takes places, they could be liable for their tenant’s subsequent medical bills and other damages.

It is not know if wrongful death lawsuits, slip and fall lawsuits, or premises liability lawsuits will be filed in either of the above cases.