Brooklyn Woman Killed by Flying Solar Panel During Nor’easter: Understanding Legal Responsibility in Weather-Related Fatalities

A tragic accident at Trump Village in Brighton Beach has claimed the life of a 76-year-old woman after high winds from a powerful nor’easter tore a solar panel loose from a carport and sent it flying through the air.

According to reports, Lyudmila Braun was walking near Ocean Parkway and Brighton Beach Avenue around 10:30 a.m. Sunday when a large solar panel—measuring approximately 3½ feet by 7 feet—detached from a steel carport at an outdoor parking lot and struck her in the head. She was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 11 a.m.

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) later issued a partial vacate order for the lot owned by Trump Village Apartments Two Owner LLC, citing unsafe conditions. Inspectors ordered the area beneath the carport to be cleared while investigators determine whether the solar installation or the carport’s construction failed to meet wind-resistance or building-code standards.

Legal Accountability After Weather-Related Fatalities

While nor’easters and other extreme-weather events can produce unpredictable hazards, property owners and management companies remain legally responsible for maintaining safe premises.

Liability may arise if:

The solar panel system or carport was improperly installed or maintained.
The owner or contractor failed to comply with NYC Building Code wind-load and safety requirements.
The property owner ignored prior warnings or violations related to structural integrity.

When unsecured structures or building components cause injuries or fatalities, victims’ families may have grounds for a wrongful-death claim against negligent parties. These incidents are categorized as falling-debris and unsafe-premises accidents—a danger that remains all too common across New York City.

Justice for Families Affected by Preventable Tragedies

For more than a century, Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf has represented victims of catastrophic accidents caused by unsafe property conditions.

Our falling-object attorneys have helped shape New York law and secure justice for those harmed by negligence. In one landmark case, our lawyers expanded the state’s “zone of danger” doctrine to allow recovery for a grandmother who witnessed her granddaughter’s death from falling debris. In another, they obtained a substantial confidential settlement for a man who suffered life-altering injuries when roof fencing fell and struck him.

These cases demonstrate the firm’s commitment to holding negligent property owners accountable and achieving meaningful results for those whose lives are forever changed by preventable accidents.

Contact Our Personal Injury Lawyers

With offices in Manhattan and extensive experience representing Brooklyn personal injury victims, the attorneys at Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf have recovered over $5 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients.

If your loved one was killed or seriously injured by falling debris, unsafe property conditions, or structural negligence, contact our attorneys at 212-943-1090 or fill a form online for a free consultation.