NEW YORK CITY INSPECTORS CLOSE APARTMENT BALCONIES TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS

From: New York attorney Gary E. Rosenberg (personal injury and accident attorney and lawyer; serving Brooklyn Queens Bronx; Queens accident lawyer)

Monday May 17, 2010 the New York City Building Department issued a warning to residents at sixteen New York City buildings to stay off their apartment balconies. The warnings come out of an inspection program prompted by an by an accident in March, when a Manhattan man fell to his death after his balcony railing failed. This accident was the subject of a previous blog post on March 17, 2010.

The City has conducted safety inspections of several hundred buildings and found unsecure loose railings, broken concrete, and loose railing posts - accidents waiting to happen. To avoid injury to and possible death of residents, building owners must make repairs before the balconies can be reopened.

The the New York City Building Department also found that some 800 building owners have failed to file mandatory inspection reports on the safety of their balconies and terraces, which are required every five years.

The sixteen buildings affected by the order are in every borough except Brooklyn.