A young girl was severely injured when she fell into a backyard fire pit earlier this month. EMTs arrived at the New Jersey home within minutes of receiving the call and stabilized the girl at the accident scene before rushing her to a nearby hospital by helicopter. She was admitted and is being treated for second and third degree burns to her face and arms.
The five-year-old was allegedly playing in the family’s backyard when she “tripped” and fell into the fire pit. It’s unclear if there was adult supervision present at the time of this terrible accident.
Under New York City premises liability law, property owners have a legal obligation to protect children from hazards on their property including:
· Swimming pools
· Fire pits (and other open flame)
· Holes, pits, stairs or other fall hazards
This protection may extend to certain victims even if they don’t have specific permission to be on the property at the time of the accident.
Those legal obligations vary but in general it’s the property owner’s responsibility to keep kids (and other individuals) on their property out of harm’s way. As such specific regulations may require:
· Installation of fencing to keep potential victims away from hazards
· Installation of alarms to alert property owners if a child or other potential victim has wandered into a hazardous area (such as a pool enclosure)
· Removal or blocking off of potential hazards
· Installation of permanent or temporary lighting to eliminate the risk of falls
· Posting of signs or other deterrents to warn individuals of the hazards present
· Supervision by a responsible adult
It is the property owner’s responsibility to know and follow all the specific premises liability laws in New York City that pertain to the potential hazards on and around their property.
If you or a loved one-especially a child-has been injured by a backyard hazard, you need an experienced New York City premises liability lawyer to protect your rights as a victim. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 to speak with an experienced attorney today.