nyc residents - and workers - deserve to be able to walk down the street safely.

we can help prevent serious accidents.

-DENNIS P. RYAN

Q. What is the Safe Sidewalks and Streets Project?

In 2018, the Managing Partner of the firm, Dennis Ryan, has started the Safe Sidewalk and Street Project to hold the City accountable for broken and defective public sidewalks and streets.

Q. Who is responsible if I trip on a broken sidewalk or street?

If someone is injured because of a defective sidewalk that's located in front of a 1-3 family residential house, the case must be brought against the City of New York.

Q. How do I win a case if I fall on a bad sidewalk or street?

In order to recover any money, the injured person must show the City had received Prior Written Notice of the defective sidewalk at least 15 days before the accident. Unfortunately, many people do not write to City of New York when they come across a broken sidewalk and 311 calls do not count as Prior Written Notice. Therefore, many injured people are not able to recover any money after they fall on a street, curb or sidewalk in front of 1-3 family residential house.

Q. Who does this law affect the most? 

This law applies to all pedestrians but unfortunately it affects Sanitation Workers and Supervisors more than most people. Sanitation Workers and Supervisors are forced to walk over the most dangerous sidewalks, streets and curbs on an everyday basis. They have to do this during bad weather and poor lighting conditions while carrying heavy objects and dodging cars and other obstacles. For these reasons, they are more likely to fall and suffer injuries.

Q. What is your firm doing to help Sanitation Workers with the Safe Sidewalks Project?

Our firm has partnered with some Districts to help map out the district and report sidewalk problems to the City. We hope that this will force the City to fix these problems before people get hurt from it. If the City does not fix the sidewalk and someone is injured as of a result of it, they will have a better chance to recover money as a result of the City's negligent. All problems must be properly reported to the City of New York. If your district or anyone you  know is interested in being involved in this project, please contact our office at DRyan@RyanInjuryFirm.com to set up a meeting.

need a lawyer you can count on?

talk to the team at Law Office of Dennis P. Ryan

call us today (212) 441-4352

recent results

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recent results |

  • JUNE 2023 - The Law Office of Dennis P. Ryan was able to win an important motion to allow a Department of Sanitation Supervisor to bring a Personal Injury Claim against the City of New York. Anyone who plans to sue a municipality in the State of New York, must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the date of the accident. A New York City Sanitation Supervisor recently contacted our law firm 5 months after the accident, and more than 2 months after the Notice of Deadline had passed. Our office was successfully able to convince the Court that our client's claim fell under an exception and should be allowed to proceed. Our client is now likely going to be able to receive money for his pain pain and suffering and lost wages.

  • Our client was a Sanitation Worker who was hit by a car while he was servicing his route. He suffered an ankle injury that required him to go for Physical Therapy for 1-2 months. Even though he did not need any injections or surgery, we were able to convince the insurance company to offer the full amount of its $25,000 to settle the case. We were able to achieve this settlement before our client needed to appear for a deposition.

  • Our client was a Sanitation Worker who was hit by a car while he was servicing his route. He had to have a shoulder surgery and missed several months of work, losing Chart Money, Truck Money and Overtime Money. We filed a lawsuit on his behalf in Kings County (Brooklyn). Our office was able to settle case for the full amount of the driver's Insurance Policy. We were able to achieve this settlement before our client needed to appear for a deposition.

  • Our office was able to settle a case for the full amount of Insurance Policy for Pedestrian who tripped and fell on sidewalk in Nassau County. This was a tough case in a tough venue for Plaintiff's attorneys. Our client had contacted 2 previous law firms who declined her case because they thought it would be too difficult to obtain a settlement. Our office was not only able to settle the case but we were able to persuade the insurance company to offer the full amount of its insurance policy to settle the case.

  • Our office was able to obtain a settlement for $95,000 (out of a total of $100,000) for a Sanitation Supervisor who hurt his ankle in a car crash. The insurance company for the other driver made several motions to the court asking the Judge to dismiss the case. We were able to defeat each of these motions and eventually settle the case for $95,000. This was more than 3 times the initial settlement offer that the insurance company made.

  • Our client fell on a broken sidewalk in the Bronx in front of a 1 family house. We brought a lawsuit against the City of New York and the insurance company for the homeowner. Our client aggravated injuries to his ankle that he had suffered years ago while playing sports. The Insurance Company made a Motion to the Court asking to dismiss our case. We were able to defeat this Motion and we were eventually able to settle this case against the City of New York and the Insurance Company for a total of $75,000.

  • Our office was able to obtain a settlement of $97,500 out of a possible $100,000 in available insurance coverage for a Car Crash that happened in New Jersey. Our client was involved in a 2 car crash. She had a stop sign and the other driver did not have a stop sign. For that reason, the insurance company claimed that the crash was completely the fault of our client. Our firm hired investigators who canvassed the scene for witnesses, photos and videos of the crash. We were able to prove that the other driver was driving too fast for the intersection and was also at fault for the crash.

  • Our office was able to obtain a settlement of $170,000 for a woman who slipped and fell on ice on the stairs of the house that she rented an apartment at. Her landlord's insurance company argued that the landlord had done everything it could to prevent our client's fall. We were able to prove that the landlord had not properly shoveled and salted the steps before our client's fall.

  • Our Office settled a case for a Sanitation Worker who tripped and fell on uneven pavement inside his Sanitation Garage and hurt his ankle. The Worker had several prior Line of Duty Injuries (LODIs) where he had also hurt his ankle. Our office was able to prove that this LODI aggravated the old injuries and made the injuries worse.