New York Premises Liability Statistics

Posted in Premises Liability on August 19, 2025

New York residents lead busy, productive lives, taking them out of their homes to workplaces, markets, restaurants, parks, and public transportation stations and platforms. All property owners have a legal obligation in New York to ensure that their property is reasonably safe for those who are on the property legally and not trespassing or committing a crime.

This duty of care requires a property owner to make regular inspections of their property and take prompt action to address any safety hazards by placing warning signs and/or making repairs. When a property owner neglects their duty of care, and it results in an injury, the injury victim has the right to seek compensation for their losses with the help of a New York premises liability attorney.

Public entities in New York, such as public parks and city transit authorities, also have a duty of care to maintain safe premises for those lawfully using public property and facilities.

Call (212) 564-2800 to get started with a free case consultation today.

How Common Are Premises Liability Claims In New York?

A New York premises liability claim occurs when an injury victim who suffered physical and financial harm on private, public, or commercial property files a claim for compensation against a negligent property owner or city entity. In 2023, the most recent year with fully analyzed data, the New York Comptroller’s Office reports that there were 533 personal injury claims filed in the Bronx, 205 in Brooklyn, 276 in Manhattan,167 in Queens, and 168 in Staten Island. Although personal injury law is a broad umbrella term, premises liability claims make up a substantial portion of personal injury claims.

The following premises liability statistics give an overview of New York premises liability claims:

Slip-and-fall accidents are the most common type of premises liability claim in New York, followed by pool injuries
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 27% of New York workplace injuries are slip and fall claims, vs. 17% nationally
The average personal injury settlement in New York in 2023 was $134,656, but individual claim results may vary between $10,000 and $2 million or more for catastrophic injuries with permanent harm
According to the National Safety Council, falls are the second-leading cause of accidental deaths in the U.S.
About 300 people die from falls in New York City each year
About 17,000 senior adults are admitted to hospitals each year due to slip-and-fall accidents
Nationally, 46,653 deaths were caused by falls in a single recent year, many of which resulted from property owner negligence, as well as workplace slip-and-fall accidents and falls from heights
About two million falls occur each year due to unsafe flooring

Premises liability claims are the second-most common category of personal injury claims in New York, second only to car accident claims.

The Elderly and Slip-and-Fall Premises Liability Claims In New York

Fall-related emergency room visits are highest among the elderly in New York. According to data from New York’s Environment & Health Data Portal:

There were 30,492 fall-related emergency room visits for seniors over age 65 in a single recent year
In Staten Island, 2,426 elderly fall victims received treatment in emergency rooms
In the Bronx, 7,362 elderly fall victims received treatment in emergency rooms
In Brooklyn, 4,505 fall victims visited the emergency room
Queens saw 8,149 elderly fall victims in emergency rooms
Manhattan saw 8,050 fall victims in emergency rooms

The elderly face the greatest risk of hip fractures and traumatic brain injuries from slip-and-fall accidents in New York and elsewhere. Contact a slip and fall lawyer in NYC today if you or a loved one has suffered an injury to to negligent up-keeping of private property.

What Are the Most Common Types of Premises Liability Cases In New York?

Although slip-and-fall accidents are the most common type of premises liability claims in New York, there are many ways that negligence-related injuries occur on private, public, and commercial properties, including the following:

Pool injuries
Building code violations
Apartment fires
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Negligent security
Inadequate lighting
Parking lot accidents
Faulty appliances
Dog bites
Ceiling collapses
Balcony collapses
Electrocution accidents
Toxic exposures
Falling objects
Falling trees and tree limbs

Nearly 95% of premises liability claims are resolved with settlements from the property owner’s liability insurance company. However, when premises liability cases go to court, the judge instructs the jury to ask themselves the following question during deliberations: “Did the property owner act the way another, reasonable property owner would have under the same circumstances?” If the answer is no, then the property owner can be held liable for the injury victim’s damages.

What Are the Most Common Types of Injuries In New York Slip and Fall Accidents

Although the elderly face the greatest risk of serious injuries in slip-and-fall accidents, premises liability accidents cause injuries to New York residents of all ages. Common injuries named in New York premises liability claims include the following:

Neck injuries
Back injuries
Soft-tissue injuries like sprains, strains, torn ligaments, and tendon damage
Fractures
Traumatic brain injuries
External head, facial, and dental injuries
Burns
Animal bites
Electrocutions
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Toxic exposures
Spinal cord injuries
Internal organ injuries
Traumatic amputations

These injuries cited in New York premises liability claims can cause significant disruption to the injury victim’s life, with temporary or permanent economic and non-economic damages. A successful claim cannot erase the injury, but it is the civil court’s only means of redress for injury victims and ensures financial accountability for negligence.

What Types of Damages are Available to New York Premises Liability Injury Victims?

When a property owner’s negligence results in an injury, the injury victim has the right to demand compensation for their losses through a premises liability claim against the property owner’s property insurance. Common damages recovered include the following:

Reimbursement for medical expenses
Anticipated future medical expenses
Out-of-pocket costs
Lost earnings, including wages, salary, bonuses, commissions, and benefits
Compensation for diminished future earning capacity (in cases of injury-related disability)
Compensation for pain and suffering
Compensation for emotional damages in some cases, such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, after an assault caused by insufficient security

Catastrophic injury damages may be available for injuries with permanent adverse consequences to the victim. For example, severe injuries such as loss of limb, loss of one of the senses, disfigurement, scarring, or organ loss may allow an injury victim to make an additional compensation claim.

Statute of Limitations for New York Premises Liability Claims

In most cases, the insurance company resolves a premises liability claim through negotiations for a settlement with the injury victim and their attorney. Only about five percent of claims go on to lawsuit litigation in court. Court cases take longer than settlements, but juries are often sympathetic to injury victims, awarding large compensation amounts. If a case requires court, a premises liability lawsuit petition must be filed with the civil court within three years of the injury date under the state’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims.

Contact our NYC premises liability lawyers online today.