Can I file a lawsuit if the slip and fall injury occurred on a public sidewalk?
In New York, the law says that when someone is injured on a sidewalks, they must prove that the person responsible for the sidewalk either knew or should have known about the dangerous condition. In addition, the plaintiff must also prove that the dangerous sidewalk was a substantial factor in causing their injury, e.g. it wasn't merely an act of clumsiness or from being in a drunken state.