People in New York City and beyond expect that homeowners, business owners and city officials are doing what they can to keep people safe. However, accidents happen. Fortunately, when someone suffers an injury caused by falling merchandise or other overhead hazards he or she may be awarded compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
Earlier this year, a 29-year-old social worker was awarded $4 million after she suffered serious injuries from a fallen tree limb. The accident happened in 2007 in Stuyvesant Square Park in Manhattan. The woman was sitting under an 80-foot tree when a limb fell 30 feet and landed on top of her.
The woman sued the city of New York, and her lawyers placed blame on parks workers who failed to notice that the tree was rotting. The city, however, claimed that they were not responsible for the accident since they are not required to perform “state-of-the-art inspections” on city trees.
The 29-year-old woman is not the only person to be injured by falling tree limbs. In the last 10 years, nine other people have sued New York City for deaths or injuries caused by fallen tree branches.
This story serves as a reminder that accident victims are often able to pursue legal action against negligent parties. Those who have been hurt because of another party’s carelessness would be wise to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney will work hard to get them the compensation they deserve. After all, people who are injured often must endure multiple surgeries, lengthy hospital stays and rehabilitation. They should not also have to suffer financial setbacks.
Source: NBC New York, “City Pays Millions to Settle Claims Over Rotting Trees,” May 14, 2012
