Pedestrian injury from falling chair leads to lawsuit

You face a number of untold hazards every day. If you commute, you have to worry about getting into a wreck. If you walk, you have to worry about getting knocked over by a bicycle or hit by a distracted driver when you cross the street. You do your best to manage these risks all the time.

One hazard you probably don’t consider, however, is the problem with falling objects from balconies. A 24-year-old Harvard student was left with a life-changing traumatic brain injury, however, in just that kind of accident in New York City. As a result, she’s now pursuing litigation against several potentially liable parties.

According to reports, the young woman was walking near Union Square when a gust of wind lifted an unsecured lounge chair from a 12th-floor penthouse balcony and sent it hurtling onto the street below. The head wounds suffered by the young woman were considerable, and she’s since struggled to regain her ability to walk, talk and remember things.

Through her attorneys, the victim is now seeking compensation in a lawsuit that names several different defendants, including the building’s owners, its management company, the wealthy owner of the penthouse and the men leasing it in his absence. Naturally, nobody is rushing to claim responsibility for the young victim’s condition.

Cases like this illustrate both just how suddenly a property owner’s negligence can lead to a serious injury, and just how complicated such claims can become when there are multiple potential defendants. In this case, several people had the ability to prevent the accident from happening — and they all failed. Suing all of them may give the victim more compensation than she might otherwise be able to claim from any single party.

If you were injured due to someone else’s mistake, a property liability claim may help. Find out more about what it takes to pursue fair compensation for your losses.