Slip and fall cases in New York are governed by premises liability law, and winning them requires more than just demonstrating that someone fell.
The plaintiff must prove that the property owner had actual or constructive notice of the dangerous condition and failed to remedy it within a reasonable time.
That legal standard is not easy to meet, and it requires an attorney with genuine trial experience, not just settlement volume.
New York's statute of limitations for slip and fall cases is three years from the date of the accident under CPLR § 214. If the fall occurred on government property, a Notice of Claim must typically be filed within 90 days of the incident under General Municipal Law § 50-e.
Missing that window can end a case before it begins.
The lawyers on this list have demonstrated the ability to navigate those requirements and deliver results.
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1. Michael S. Porter — Porter Law Group, Syracuse, NY
Michael S. Porter is a Harvard University graduate and former U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps officer who achieved the rank of Captain before entering private practice. He is the founder and managing partner of Porter Law Group, which handles serious personal injury cases throughout New York State.
Between 2011 and 2014, Porter secured five consecutive trial results exceeding $1 million, totaling more than $9 million across those cases..
Porter Law Group explicitly lists slip and fall as a core practice area, covering injuries caused by wet floors, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, and inadequate property maintenance.
What separates Porter from many attorneys on this list is his combination of military discipline, Ivy League academic training, and a documented record of taking cases to trial and winning.
Many personal injury lawyers settle the majority of their cases; Porter has proven he will go to verdict when the situation calls for it.
Porter Law Group serves clients across New York State, including Syracuse, Watertown, and the surrounding regions.
Attorneys with his level of trial experience and credentials are rare in upstate New York, where most serious personal injury litigation tends to concentrate in New York City.
Education: Harvard University (undergraduate); J.D.
Military Service: U.S. Army JAG Corps, Captain
Notable Results: $13.5 million (medical misdiagnosis), $3 million (ER misdiagnosis), five consecutive seven-figure trial verdicts (2011-2014)
Firm: Porter Law Group
2. Eric C. Nordby — Porter Law Group, Syracuse, NY
Eric C. Nordby is a co-founder of Porter Law Group and brings nearly 30 years of litigation and trial experience in serious personal injury cases to the firm. He earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1987 and his law degree with honors from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 1992.
Nordby's credentials extend well beyond the courtroom. He currently serves as President of the Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association, and he previously served as a confidential law clerk to Chief Judge Thomas J. McAvoy of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.
He is recognized by Super Lawyers for handling slip and fall cases, among other serious personal injury matters. His representation of clients has resulted in millions of dollars in recoveries across a wide variety of personal injury claims.
Education: Cornell University (B.A., 1987); University at Buffalo School of Law (J.D. with honors, 1992)
Professional Role: President, Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association
Experience: Nearly 30 years in personal injury litigation and trial
Firm: Porter Law Group
3. Ben B. Rubinowitz — Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, New York City
Ben B. Rubinowitz is one of the most decorated trial attorneys in New York. He has been ranked the number one attorney in the New York Metro area on Super Lawyers for three consecutive years and is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, a group limited to 100 plaintiffs' attorneys considered among the best in the United States.
His firm has recovered over $5 billion for clients, including more than 600 settlements and 60 verdicts exceeding $1 million.
In premises liability specifically, Rubinowitz has secured results that include a $6 million award for a 19-year-old woman who suffered a knee and arterial injury after tripping on a poorly maintained drain cover in a Nassau County parking lot,
Recognition: Super Lawyers #1 in New York Metro (three consecutive years); Inner Circle of Advocates member
Notable Premises Liability Results: $6 million, $3.8 million (verdict), $3.8 million (settlement), $1.5 million
4. Thomas A. Moore — Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore, New York City
Thomas A. Moore has been licensed in New York since 1973 and is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law. He is widely regarded as one of the finest trial lawyers in the United States, with a record of 92 verdicts exceeding $1 million, the majority of them exceeding $10 million, and four verdicts over $100 million.
Moore's firm handles premises liability and slip and fall cases as part of its core practice. With over 150 combined firm verdicts exceeding $1 million, Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore is one of the most accomplished plaintiff trial firms in New York.
That level of trial experience matters in slip and fall cases, where defense attorneys for large property owners and insurance companies are typically well-resourced and aggressive. Moore's track record demonstrates the ability to take those cases to verdict and win.
Licensed: New York, since 1973
Education: Fordham University School of Law
Notable Record: 92 verdicts over $1 million; four verdicts over $100 million
5. Jeffrey B. Bloom — Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, New York City
Jeffrey B. Bloom joined his firm in 1979 and has practiced for over four decades. He was ranked 19th on the City & State list of the 100 most powerful legal professionals in New York, a significant recognition in a city with an enormous legal community.
Bloom's premises liability record at the firm includes a $7 million settlement for five individuals who suffered leg injuries in an elevator accident, a $3.975 million settlement for a plaintiff who fell into an elevator shaft and required above-the-knee amputation, and a $3.9 million settlement for a man killed when an air conditioner fell on him.
His four-plus decades of experience translate directly into the kind of courtroom credibility and institutional knowledge that tends to produce better results for clients in complex premises liability disputes.
Experience: Over 40 years in personal injury trial litigation
Recognition: City & State Power 100 (ranked 19th); listed on Best Lawyers
Notable Premises Results: $7 million, $3.975 million, $3.9 million
6. Jordan D. Hecht — Hecht, Kleeger & Damashek, P.C., New York City
Jordan D. Hecht is a founding partner and senior trial attorney at Hecht, Kleeger & Damashek. Licensed in New York since 1995 and a graduate of Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, he lists premises liability among his core practice areas alongside construction accidents, truck accidents, product liability, and wrongful death.
His notable verdicts include a $35 million product liability result, a $11 million construction accident recovery. While those results come from areas outside slip and fall specifically, they reflect the trial skill required to handle high-value premises liability cases at the same level of intensity.
Licensed: New York, since 1995
Education: Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
7. David Perecman — The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C., New York City
David Perecman founded The Perecman Firm in 1983. With over 40 years of practice, he has provided legal assistance to injured victims throughout New York State, and the firm has recovered more than half a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients over that period.
The firm explicitly lists slip and fall as a specific practice area, and recent firm results include a $5,676,930 recovery for a client injured by nightclub staff.
Perecman's four-decade record gives him the kind of institutional depth that matters when litigating against large property owners, municipalities, and national retail chains that frequently appear as defendants in serious slip and fall cases.
Founded Firm: 1983
Firm Total Recoveries: Over $500 million
8. Zachary S. Perecman — The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C., New York City
Zachary S. Perecman is a partner at The Perecman Firm and represents clients in construction accidents, New York Labor Law matters, premises liability, and wrongful death cases.
He is recognized on Super Lawyers and brings both the institutional knowledge of his firm and his own independently developed trial record to complex cases.
His recent results include a $19 million verdict for a construction worker injured by a falling hoisted beam, a $5.6 million settlement for a union concrete laborer injured by a falling scaffold, and a $4.3 million settlement for a union carpenter who fell from a scaffold.
Those construction and premises results reflect the same legal theory underlying slip and fall claims: a party in control of a property or worksite failed to maintain a reasonably safe environment.
Practice Focus: Premises liability, construction accidents, wrongful death, Labor Law
Notable Results: $19 million, $5.6 million, $4.3 million
9. Daniel Flanzig — Flanzig & Flanzig, LLP, Nassau and Suffolk Counties
Daniel Flanzig is the lead trial attorney at Flanzig & Flanzig, a firm that has been representing accident victims throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties since 1956.
He regularly litigates cases in Nassau, Suffolk, and the five boroughs of New York City, and has represented clients in Federal Court at the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York.
Premises liability and slip and fall are listed as core practice areas at the firm. For injured clients in Long Island and the surrounding region, Flanzig represents an attorney with deep roots in the local court system and a firm with nearly seven decades of community presence.
Firm History: Representing clients in Nassau and Suffolk since 1956
Federal Court Experience: Eastern and Southern Districts of New York
10. Peter J. Saghir — Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, New York City
Peter J. Saghir focuses on the pre-trial preparation and trial of catastrophic personal injury and products liability cases. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2024 in both Medical Malpractice Law (Plaintiffs) and Personal Injury Litigation (Plaintiffs).
As a partner at one of New York's highest-producing plaintiff firms, Saghir has access to the resources, expert networks, and institutional knowledge that the firm has built over decades of premises liability litigation.
His firm's premises liability track record includes multiple seven-figure settlements and verdicts for slip, trip, and fall accidents across New York.Recognition: Best Lawyers (2024 onward) in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Litigation Focus: Pre-trial preparation and trial of catastrophic personal injury cases
How to Evaluate a Slip and Fall Lawyer in New York
Not all personal injury attorneys are equally qualified to handle serious slip and fall claims. Here are the factors that matter most when selecting representation.
Trial experience. Many personal injury attorneys settle the vast majority of their cases and rarely appear in court. Insurance companies know which attorneys are willing to go to trial and adjust their settlement offers accordingly.
Premises liability knowledge. New York slip and fall cases turn on the notice requirement. Your attorney must understand how to prove that a property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition. That analysis depends on facts like how long the hazard existed, whether the property had a regular inspection schedule, and whether prior complaints had been made.
Jurisdictional experience. An attorney who regularly practices in the county where your accident occurred will know the local courts, judges, and procedures. This is why regional presence matters alongside overall reputation.
Contingency fee arrangement. All the attorneys on this list take personal injury cases on contingency, meaning no fees unless they recover compensation for you. You should not pay any upfront costs to retain a slip and fall lawyer.
What Is the Average Slip and Fall Settlement in New York?
Slip and fall settlements in New York vary significantly based on the severity of the injury, the clarity of liability, and the type of property involved. Minor soft-tissue injuries may settle in the range of $15,000 to $50,000.
Cases involving fractures, herniated discs requiring surgery, or permanent limitations typically settle between $100,000 and $500,000. Catastrophic injuries with permanent disability can exceed $1 million.
Some notable New York slip and fall verdicts provide useful reference points.
A musician who slipped on ice in a Scarsdale supermarket parking lot received a $10.9 million verdict after sustaining a fractured shoulder and herniated disc.
An elderly Bronx woman who tripped over an art installation at Sarah Lawrence College received a $10 million verdict in 2023. In April 2025, a salsa dancer on the Upper West Side who slipped on fish guts outside a gourmet grocery store received a $6.45 million verdict.
These results reflect cases where liability was relatively clear and injuries were serious. Most cases settle well below those figures, but they illustrate what is possible when the facts support a strong claim.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a slip and fall lawsuit in New York?
You generally have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit under CPLR § 214. However, if the fall occurred on property owned or maintained by a government entity, such as a city sidewalk or public school, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident under General Municipal Law § 50-e. Failing to meet that deadline can bar your claim entirely, even if the three-year statute of limitations has not yet expired.
Can I recover damages if I was partially at fault for my fall?
Yes. New York follows a pure comparative negligence rule under CPLR § 1411, which allows you to recover damages even if you were partially responsible for your own injury. Your total compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If a jury determines you were 25% at fault and awards $200,000, you would receive $150,000. This is one of the most plaintiff-friendly rules in the country.
What do I have to prove in a New York slip and fall case?
You must prove four elements: that the property owner owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty by allowing a dangerous condition to exist, that the dangerous condition caused your injury, and that you suffered actual damages as a result. The most contested element is typically noticed. You must show that the property owner either knew about the hazard (actual notice) or that it existed long enough that they should have discovered it through reasonable inspection (constructive notice).
What types of injuries qualify for a slip and fall claim?
Any injury caused by a fall on someone else's property can form the basis of a claim if negligence is involved. Common injuries in New York slip and fall cases include fractures (particularly wrists, hips, and ankles), herniated discs, knee injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and shoulder tears. The severity of your injury will directly affect the value of your case.
How much does a slip and fall lawyer in New York charge?
Slip and fall lawyers in New York, including all the attorneys on this list, work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and owe no legal fees unless your attorney recovers compensation for you. The standard contingency fee in New York personal injury cases typically ranges from 33% to 40% of the recovery, depending on whether the case settles or goes to trial.
Should I speak to the property owner's insurance company after a fall?
No. You should not give a recorded statement to an insurance company without first consulting with a slip and fall attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize claims, and statements made early in the process can be used to reduce or deny your claim. Contact an attorney before communicating with any insurance representative.
What evidence is most important in a slip and fall case?
The most important evidence includes photographs of the hazardous condition taken at the scene, surveillance footage from the property (which must be requested promptly before it is overwritten), incident reports filed with the property owner, medical records documenting your injuries, and witness statements from anyone who saw the fall or knew about the dangerous condition beforehand. Your attorney should be engaged quickly enough to send a preservation letter to the property owner demanding that this evidence be maintained.
Can I sue a municipality in New York for a slip and fall?
Yes, but the procedural requirements are strict. Under General Municipal Law § 50-e, a Notice of Claim must be filed within 90 days of the accident before any lawsuit can be filed against a city, county, or state entity. The notice must describe the accident, the location, and the nature of the injuries. Missing this deadline is generally fatal to a municipal claim, regardless of how strong the underlying facts are.
Final Note
Prior results described in this article do not guarantee similar outcomes. Every case is different, and results depend on the specific facts, injuries, and legal arguments involved.
This article is attorney advertising.
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident in New York, contact Porter Law Group to have your case evaluated by Michael S. Porter and his team.
The firm takes personal injury cases on a contingency basis, with no fees unless compensation is recovered for you.
Michael S. Porter, J.D., is the founder and managing partner of Porter Law Group, a New York personal injury law firm. He is a Harvard University graduate and former U.S. Army JAG Corps Captain with a documented record of trial results exceeding $1 million. Porter Law Group handles personal injury cases throughout New York State.
