Brooklyn’s tight neighborhoods, older buildings, cracked sidewalks, and sometimes poorly maintained public areas make it especially important for property owners to stay on top of safety issues. 

New York law holds property owners responsible for maintaining safe premises, but when that duty is neglected, it’s everyday people who pay the price. What makes things even more serious is that falls are the leading cause of accidental injury and death for New York residents over 45.

Each year, about 8 million people in the U.S. end up in the emergency room because of falls, and roughly 12% of those are due to slip and fall accidents. Many of these injuries involve fractures, head trauma, or worse. That’s why it’s so important to know what causes these accidents and what your rights are if it happens to you. 

And if you’ve been injured because someone didn’t take proper care of their property, a slip and fall lawyer in Brooklyn can help you understand your legal options.

Wet and Slippery Floors

One of the top reasons people slip is that the floor is wet. It might be from a spilled drink, water tracked in from outside, or even cleaning solutions that haven’t dried yet. Grocery stores are a big culprit here, especially in the produce section. Step on a squished tomato or grape, and it’s like stepping on ice.

Property owners are responsible for marking wet areas clearly with signs and taking steps to reduce the risk, like putting down absorbent mats near entrances when it rains. When they don’t, that’s when accidents happen. 

Improper Footwear

The shoes you wear can actually determine how likely you are to slip. Shoes with worn-out soles or those not designed for the surface you’re walking on reduce traction, increasing your chance of losing balance.

For example, some shoes are great on oily kitchen floors but almost useless on cold or icy surfaces. There are even industry standards for this. Shoes labeled SRA are tested for soapy tile floors, SRB for oily steel, and SRC if they pass both. In fact, one study found that giving restaurant workers proper slip-resistant shoes cut down accidents by 67%.

In legal cases, improper footwear might even affect whether you’re considered partly responsible for your own fall. 

Uneven or Damaged Surfaces

Cracked sidewalks. Loose floorboards. Rugs that bunch up or curl at the edges. These are all examples of uneven surfaces that can trip someone in an instant.

Inside buildings, it could be old carpeting that’s come loose or tiles that weren’t laid evenly. Outside, it might be crumbling pavement or stairs with broken edges. These things don’t always look dangerous, but they create just enough of a hazard to send someone tumbling.

And again, the property owner has a duty to fix these issues or warn visitors. Ignoring them can lead to serious injury. 

Inadequate Lighting

Now imagine trying to navigate any of those surfaces in poor lighting. Stairwells, parking lots, hallways—if they’re not well lit, you might not see that patch of water or uneven floor until it’s too late.

Lighting is often overlooked, but it’s just as important as anything else. A burnt-out bulb or a dim fixture can make even a safe space dangerous. You need to be able to see the hazards to avoid them, and when you can’t, the risk of slipping goes way up. 

Outdoor Hazards 

Slips don’t just happen indoors. In fact, some of the worst accidents happen outside, especially in the winter. Ice on sidewalks, snow-covered parking lots, or rain pooling near entrances are all prime conditions for a fall.

Ice is especially dangerous because it’s often hard to see. A sidewalk might look perfectly safe, but in reality, it could be covered in a thin, slippery layer of black ice. That’s why property owners are expected to shovel, salt, and plow during winter months, and to keep walkways clear when it rains.