Don’t Settle For Less

Don’t Settle For Less

Young Girl Killed by Falling Stone in Rented Home

On Behalf of | Oct 19, 2021 | Pedestrian Accidents

A young girl was struck and killed by a heavy chunk of stone that broke free from a railing at a home in the Westchester Square neighborhood of the Bronx earlier this month. This tragic façade accident in New York City happened on August 3rd at around 8 in the evening. NYPD officers were the first to respond to the distress call and found the little girl on the ground, suffering from severe head trauma. When EMTs arrived, she was transported to nearby Jacobi Medical Center but doctors were not able to stabilize her. She passed away shortly after arrival.

Investigators piecing together the accident discovered that the girl had been playing, unsupervised, on the porch—attempting to squeeze through the gaps in the handrail—when a significant portion of the railing gave way. The girl tumbled to the ground and a chunk of the ornate marble railing broke free and struck her in the head. Investigators further uncovered that the family had just moved into the home this year—renting from an unnamed landlord. The building also has several complaints on file with City officials for unsafe conditions.

When accidents such as these occur, can the landlord or property owner be held financially liable for the resulting injuries or as in this case, the tragic loss of a young life. Property owners and landlords have a duty to reasonably protect tenants from hazardous defects which means that routine inspections of the property be conducted and maintenance of property be performed. In this particular case, if it’s discovered that the landlord/property owner knew or should have known of the deteriorated condition of the handrail or failed to fix the problem properly, they could be held financially responsible for the girl’s death.

If you have been injured because of a property owner’s or landlord’s failure to correct an issue, contact an experienced façade accident attorney in New York City as soon as possible. Call 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 to speak with the team at the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel right now.

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