Who is Responsible for Damaged Sidewalks?

Lever & Ecker, PLLC July 8, 2015 Slip Trip & Fall

Slip and Fall Caused by a Damaged Sidewalk

Even though sidewalks are made from sturdy concrete, they are not safe from damage.  Sidewalks can become cracked and damaged due to heavy foot traffic, tree roots, the settlement of soil under the poured concrete, or even thermal expansion because of weather changes causing the concrete to expand or shrink and then crack.

Who is Responsible for the Sidewalk?

If you experience a slip and fall accident due to a cracked sidewalk that was not properly maintained, then who is responsible?  If you live in Westchester County, the person who is responsible for the maintenance of sidewalks may change from town to town.  If you live in one town but slip, fall, and injure yourself in a different one, it is important to know who is responsible.  There are several reasons that knowing who is responsible for the maintenance of the sidewalk is important.

If you slipped and fell because of a defective sidewalk, you may be entitled to compensation from the person who is responsible for the upkeep of the sidewalk in a premises liability lawsuit.  If you were injured in this slip and fall, you may also use the law to hold the person responsible for up-keeping the sidewalk responsible for your injuries and sue them for compensation.  This compensation could cover any medical bills that you may have accrued.

Injuries Caused by Slip and Falls on a Sidewalk

Slip and fall accidents may not seem serious initially but many times they can result in serious injuries.  The injuries from a slip and fall can range from minor bruises and scrapes, to broken bones, to more traumatic brain injuries.  If the individual slips, falls, and hits their head on the sidewalk, they may suffer from any range of brain injures from a mild concussion to a serious brain injury that can require years of rehabilitation.  More information is available on traumatic brain injuries on the website for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders here.

Westchester County Sidewalk Directory

Here at Lever & Ecker, we’ve taken the time to catalog the towns in Westchester County and who is responsible for the sidewalk maintenance in them for your reference.  Simply find the town that you live in and you will see who is responsible for the sidewalk.  In most of the towns below, the maintenance of the sidewalk falls on the responsibility of the property owner but in some cases the maintenance is left up to the town.  Twenty of the towns in Westchester County are listed below, the rest can be found on our Slip and Fall Resource Page.

Yonkers
Code 103-1 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the maintenance of the sidewalk.

Rye
Town Code 51-1 – Town is responsible but prior written notice is required.
City Code C23-1 – City is responsible but prior written notice is required, but abutting landowner is responsible if cited by City to repair broken sidewalk, but fails to do so.

Mount Vernon
Code 227-56 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk

Pelham
Code 76-1 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk

New Rochelle
Code XXII-197 – Abutting landwoner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk.

Larchmont
Code 245-1 – Village is responsible for maintenance of the sidewalks but prior written notice is required

Bronxville
Code 260-14 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk.

Tuckahoe
Code 19-15 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk

Mamaroneck
Code 296-15 – In Mamaroneck Town, the Town is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk.  In Mamaroneck Village, the abutting landowner is responsible.

Hastings-On-Hudson
Code 252-20 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the sidewalk.

Dobbs Ferry
Code 264-4 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the sidewalk.

Sleepy Hollow
Code 276-1 – The village is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk but a prior notice is required.

Harrison
Code 32-2 – The town/village is responsible for the maintenance of the sidewalks but a prior written notice is required.

Scarsdale
Code 209-1 – Village is responsible but prior written notice is required.

Port Chester
Code 283-30 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk.

Rye Brook
Code 186-9 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk

Elmsford
Code 20-7 – The town is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk but a prior notice is required.

White Plains
Code 183 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk.

Irvington
Code 184-33 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk.

Greenburgh
Code 430-17 – Abutting landowner is responsible for the repair of the sidewalk

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