Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf is a New York Plaintiff's personal injury law firm specializing in automobile accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, products liability, police misconduct and all types of New York personal injury litigation.

Articles Tagged with premises liability nyc

Published on:

rego park where the fatal car accident occurredA fatal incident inside a Queens apartment building parking garage has placed renewed focus on driver responsibility, property safety, and the legal rights of families after preventable tragedies. According to published reports, a 1-year-old child was struck by a BMW inside a parking garage next to the family’s apartment building in Rego Park, Queens. The child was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, where he later died from his injuries. The driver remained at the scene, and authorities continue to investigate.

From a legal perspective, crashes involving children in parking garages are among the most serious motor-vehicle cases handled by our Queens car accident lawyers. These incidents often involve complex questions of negligence, visibility, speed, vehicle design, and whether the garage itself was reasonably safe for pedestrians.

Parking Garages Are Not “No-Fault” Zones Under New York Law

Published on:

Bronx building where the fatal explosion occuredA deadly gas explosion inside a Bronx NYCHA high-rise has led to murder and multiple felony charges, highlighting once again how preventable gas-related incidents can devastate entire buildings and communities.

According to law enforcement sources, a man has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly stealing a gas stove from an apartment at the Boston Secor Houses in Baychester—triggering a gas leak that caused a massive explosion and four-alarm fire. One resident was killed, and at least 14 others were injured.

As NYC gas explosion attorneys representing victims of serious personal injury in the Bronx, incidents like this raise critical legal questions about accountability, safety oversight, and the rights of residents harmed by dangerous conditions inside residential buildings.

Published on:

Trump Village where the woman was killed by a solar panelA 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.

Published on:

Mitchel Housing Complex in the Bronx where the collpase occuredWhen a portion of the 20-story Mitchel Houses in the Bronx collapsed on October 1, 2025, after an explosion in a ventilation shaft, hundreds of families were forced to evacuate. While no injuries were reported, residents lost access to their homes, belongings, and sense of safety. The collapse raises important questions about tenants’ rights, the legal responsibility of public housing authorities, and the options available to residents after such a catastrophic event.

Tenant Rights After a Building Collapse

New York tenants are legally entitled to safe and habitable housing. When a building becomes structurally unsafe—whether due to poor maintenance, faulty equipment, or systemic neglect—residents may have legal claims for:

Published on:

The building where the deadly collapse occuredA fatal construction accident in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, has placed the spotlight squarely on the property owner’s failure to maintain a safe structure. Following the collapse of a parapet wall that killed a 58-year-old worker, New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) inspectors documented severe façade defects at the one-story garage located at 113 Sunnyside Avenue.

The Deadly Collapse

The accident occurred just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, when the worker was struck in the back by a collapsing parapet wall while on the roof of the garage, which shares a lot with a six-story building at 224 Highland Boulevard. Emergency responders removed him from the roof using an aerial ladder, but he was pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital.

Published on:

The Hip Hop that partially collapsed in BrooklynAs Brooklyn personal injury lawyers, we are closely following the recent ceiling collapse at the IHOP in Flatlands that left nine people injured and forced the restaurant to shut down. On September 5, 2025, a 10-by-10-inch section of the ceiling, weakened by water damage, fell onto diners. Five victims were transported to area hospitals, while four others received treatment at the scene. City inspectors later issued a vacate order and cited the property owner for failure to maintain the premises.

What Happened

  • A section of the ceiling collapsed due to water damage.

Published on:

the building where the victim was rapedOur NYC Premises Liability Lawyers Examine Legal Options for Victims of Inadequate Security

A 23-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in her own apartment in Jamaica, Queens early Saturday morning, according to the NYPD. The disturbing incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. in a building on 94th Avenue—leaving residents shaken and wondering how an intruder was able to gain access despite the building reportedly having security in place.

Police say the suspect entered the woman’s apartment and raped her before fleeing with her bed sheets. She was transported to Queens Hospital and is in stable condition. As of now, the suspect remains at large.

Published on:

New York City aging buildings at risk of collapseIn a monumental move to safeguard New York City’s residents, the City Council has passed a bill mandating proactive inspections for residential buildings based on their structural risks. As building collapse attorneys in New York City, this development is not only welcome but long overdue. The city’s new initiative promises to prevent tragedies by identifying potential hazards before they become catastrophic failures.

A Shift from Reactive to Proactive

Historically, New York City’s approach to building safety has been largely reactive, relying on complaints and reports of visible damage before taking action. This method has proven insufficient, as evidenced by recent incidents of structural collapses that have caused significant disruption and loss.

Published on:

DOB NYCAs building collapse attorneys based in New York City, we are deeply concerned about the recent findings concerning the parking garage collapse in Lower Manhattan. More than a year has passed since this tragic event, and the root cause remains undetermined, highlighting significant gaps in our city’s approach to building safety and regulation.

The recent declaration by the Department of Buildings (DOB) that the Ann Street parking garage did not fail due to overloading is a critical piece of information. It suggests that other factors, possibly related to the structural integrity of the building itself, might have led to the collapse. Notably, University of Arizona engineering professor Sammy Tin speculated that the garage’s condition at the time of collapse might have been a contributing factor, despite the walls and pillars appearing pristine and undamaged.

It’s alarming to learn that prior to the collapse, there were open violations dating back to 2003 and 2009 for issues such as loose or missing concrete. These findings were brought to light almost immediately after the collapse by investigative journalists. This raises significant concerns about the enforcement of building codes and the efficacy of the inspections process in New York City.

Published on:

Fazil Khan victim of a lithium battery explosionIn an urgent response to the rising threat posed by lithium-ion battery fires, New York City Council has enacted two new e-bike safety regulations. This legislative action, motivated by a tragic fire in Harlem sparked by a lithium-ion battery, underscores the city’s commitment to addressing the dangers associated with these batteries. The fire accident, which claimed the life of 27-year-old Fazil Khan, a young journalist,  and critically injured four others, has catalyzed a city-wide discourse on the safety of e-mobility devices.

The first rule mandates that businesses selling e-bikes and e-scooters must display safety information regarding the storage of lithium-ion batteries both in-store and online. This is a critical measure aimed at educating the public on proper battery handling to mitigate fire risks. The second regulation intensifies the crackdown on the sale of non-UL-certified batteries by enhancing penalties for illegal sales and bolstering city enforcement. These steps, while significant, are part of a broader call for comprehensive federal legislation to ensure the sale of only certified batteries across the United States.

Parallel to these legislative efforts, New York City is pioneering a solution to one of the most pressing issues related to e-bike safety: battery charging. The city has launched a pilot program to establish public e-bike charging hubs in Manhattan and Brooklyn, offering a safer alternative to charging batteries indoors. The initiative kicked off with the unveiling of the first hub at Cooper Square in the East Village.