If I walked into an exposed pipe that sticks out of an apartment building but I was on the legal sidewalk, is the apartment owner liable?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I walked into an exposed pipe that sticks out of an apartment building but I was on the legal sidewalk, is the apartment owner liable?
I’m in a lot of pain and do not have medical coverage.
Asked on January 8, 2012 under Personal Injury, New York
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The first issue is whether having pipe sticking out the way it did is negligent, or unreasonably careless. It's not uncommon for pipes, or fire sprinkler attachments, or gutters/downspouts, or wires (e.g. cable), or antennae (e.g. Direct TV), etc. to protrude from buildings; the fact that something was sticking out is not automatically negligent. However, if the pipe sticking out was sticking out unreasonably far or was something which would not normally stick out, then the landlord or owner may have had an obligation to do something about it to avoid harm. So based on the specific facts, it may nor may not have been negligent; and if not negligent, it is very unlikely there would be any liability.
Second, you can only recover an amount commensurate with your injury, even if there is liabiltiy. If you have not incurred significant medical bills, have not lost significant wages, and/or have not suffered some at least moderately long last disability (e.g. an arm is impaired; you have blurry vision; you're having trouble eating or talking due to injury to your jaw; etc.), it is difficult to imagine that legal action would be economically worth it.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.