Harlem Slip and Fall Victim Settles for $875K

NEW YORK -- A New York City personal injury law firm, has secured an $875,000 settlement on behalf of a 35-year-old woman who suffered significant injuries after slipping and falling in a Harlem supermarket.

According to the lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, under Index No. 160573/2024, the woman was shopping inside the Harlem supermarket when she encountered a dangerous, slippery floor and fell.

No wet-floor sign or other warning alerted customers to the hazard. As a result of the fall, the client suffered injuries to her spine that required extensive medical treatment, including multiple epidural injections. She also sustained a significant knee injury that ultimately required surgery.

Following litigation and negotiations, Valerie Hernandez, Esq., of Greenstein & Pittari, LLP, secured an $875,000 settlement for the injured client.

"People have a right to expect that when they walk into a supermarket, the property will be maintained in a reasonably safe condition," said Hernandez. "Our client suffered serious injuries that required extensive treatment, including multiple spinal injections and knee surgery. We worked to make sure the severity of those injuries and the impact this accident had on her life were fully recognized. We are pleased we secured an $875,000 settlement on her behalf."

What to do After a Slip and Fall
Greenstein & Pittari, LLP advises individuals injured in supermarket and retail accidents to seek appropriate medical treatment, immediately report the accident to store management, photograph the dangerous condition, when possible, obtain contact information for witnesses, preserve the shoes and clothing worn at the time of the accident, and speak with an experienced premises liability attorney before providing statements to an insurance company.

Prompt action can be particularly important because evidence establishing how long a dangerous condition existed and whether store employees knew or should have known about it may become critical during litigation. Evidence can disappear quickly.

Surveillance footage may be overwritten, spills may be cleaned, merchandise may be moved, and witnesses may become difficult to locate.

Robert Greenstein said, "A routine trip to a supermarket, grocery store, bodega, pharmacy, or retail shop should not result in a serious injury. Under New York premises liability law, property owners and businesses may be held responsible when a customer is injured because of a dangerous condition that the business created or knew, or should have known, existed and failed to address reasonably."

Greenstein & Pittari, LLP represents individuals injured in supermarkets and other commercial properties throughout New York City and the surrounding areas.