Category Archives: Brooklyn Landlord Negligence Attorney

Property Owner Liability

Are Property Owners Liable for Construction Injuries?


Posted on March 31, 2016 by

If you own a home and a contractor who is performing work on the property is injured while on the job, you may be sued for those injuries and possibly held liable for damages. While more often than not a property owner will be found responsible, there are a few steps that can be taken to help reduce the risk of liability for construction worker injuries.

If you or someone you know is a property owner in New York and is considering any type of construction on the property, contact a knowledgeable Brooklyn construction accident attorney right away to learn about your rights and obligations under the law.

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Attempt to Hide Gas Siphoning May Have Caused East Village Explosion


Posted on April 8, 2015 by

A blast occurred several weeks ago at a building in the East Village on 121 Second Avenue, near Brooklyn Landlord Negligence Accident LawyersEast Seventh Street. The blast killed two men and destroyed three nearby buildings. Following the explosion, law enforcement officials have been investigating to determine whether the explosion occurred as a result of an attempt to hide unauthorized siphoning of gas for tenants in one of the buildings. Continue reading →

Brooklyn Landlord Pleaded Guilty To Homicide in Building Fire that Killed Five


Posted on January 12, 2015 by

Front view of an apartment building.

Last year, the landlord of a Brooklyn building pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in connection with a fire. The 2010 fire occurred at an apartment building on 86th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Someone apparently doused a roll of toilet paper in paint thinner and lit the roll. Five immigrants from Guatemala tragically died in the building fire and 16 other individuals suffered injuries.

The severity of the building fire was compounded by the fact that several of the victims in the building were trapped in illegally divided apartments. After the fire subsided, inspectors learned that unauthorized partitions and locked doors had been used to create six separate apartments. These illegal apartments held 9 tenants on the second floor and 10 on the third floor. Fire officials reported that if the building had been up to code then they would have been able to put out the fire in less than an hour. Instead, it took firefighters about three hours to put out the fire and break down illegal partitions.

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New York City Tenant Wins Settlement in Landlord Negligence Case


Posted on August 6, 2014 by

Tenant wins settlement in landlord negligence case

Tenant wins settlement in landlord negligence case

A woman has settled a $350,000 negligence case against her landlord after she slipped on a greasy spot in her apartment building and fell backwards down several stairs, suffering broken bones in the fall. The woman underwent surgery for the broken bone, and had to undergo several months of therapy to rehabilitate her injuries, which were too severe to allow her to return to her job. The landlord agreed to pay the large settlement (thereby implicitly acknowledging its negligence) because evidence showed that a large amount of debris was left in the hallway where the woman fell. This debris was a significant contributing factor in the fall, and led the landlord to agree to the large settlement rather than face an even larger jury verdict.

Landlord negligence is serious misconduct. If you or someone you love has been injured on the property of another, do not hesitate to contact a New York landlord negligence attorney at The Law Office of Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum. During a free consultation we will help you evaluate the facts and circumstances of your case and determine the proper course of action to help you recover for your injuries.

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Woman Sues Landlord After Waking up to Rat on Her Chest


Posted on June 23, 2014 by

A 72-year-old woman is suing her West Side landlord for emotional and physical damages after she found a rodent crawling on her chest. The woman awoke suddenly when she felt and saw the rat, and she jumped off her bed in fear and fell. The fall caused the woman to seriously injure her knee, resulting in a ligament tear that required surgery. According to the lawsuit, the building the woman lives in is severely infested with rats, and management has ignored the problem for far too long. The woman’s lawsuit also claims that rats are constantly seen “scurrying about” and her stove was rendered useless due to rat droppings clogging the lines. Finally, the court papers state that the landlord was negligent because the apartment building was beset “with rodent infestation and openings/holes in the ceiling(s), wall(s) and floor(s).” Unfortunately, landlord negligence plagues far too many New York City dwellings. If you have been Injured by an incident of landlord negligence, you should immediately consult the experienced personal injury attorneys in Brooklyn or the Bronx for a free consultation to evaluate your case.

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Dangers Abound on New York Properties


Posted on May 16, 2014 by

New Yorkers are required to frequent the property of others on a daily basis.  The population density of the United States’ largest city makes it inevitable.  We like to think that the owners of property where we live, work, shop, and seek entertainment are safe and free of avoidable hazards.  The unfortunate reality however, is that dangers lurk around (literally) every corner and down every hallway.  If you or someone you love has been harmed or injured on someone’s property, and believe the owner is in some way responsible, the first step you should take is contacting a Brooklyn Premise Liability Lawyer for a free consultation to help you evaluate your case.

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Inadequate Security in NYC Housing Projects


Posted on October 23, 2013 by

Safety is a necessity, not a luxury that only those who can afford it are entitled to. A recent article in the New York Times, indicated that a large number of New Yorkers are targets of crime in their own apartment buildings. Due to inadequate security in the Housing Authority projects all over New York City, an increasing number of crimes are taking place in the elevators in these apartment complexes. Victims are not only victims of these physical crimes, but also of landlord negligence and inadequate security. People have a right to feel safe in their own building. If you a loved one has been a victim of an assault or rape in a NYC Housing Project or other apartment building , you should contact an inadequate security / Premise Liability attorney who can help you obtain justice and financial compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering ,lost wages or medical bills. Additionally, if you were injured due to a malfunctioning elevator, a slippery or a broken floor, a collapsed ceiling or wall, Jeffrey K. Kestenbaum is experienced in recovering full and fair compensation for those who have suffered serious injuries in these cases.

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Landlord negligence & building code enforcement: a matter of life or death


Posted on August 9, 2013 by

The tragic death of a 35-year-old woman, who fell to her death while leaning or sitting on an East 57th St. apt balcony, recently could have been prevented if the balcony had been “up to code”. In other words, the building owners (landlords) who had been cited for violations previously could have prevented this death if they had promptly corrected the violations. Instead, a young woman has left a heart broken family and devastated friends behind to mourn her unnecessary loss.

Every balcony at the prewar building on East 57th Street, including the one where the young advertising executive sat, was “deemed defective or not up to code,” a law-enforcement source said. “They weren’t strong enough to hold her up,” said another law-enforcement source. “All of the apartment balconies were defective or not up to code.” Continue reading →