Cohoes, NY Slip and Fall Accident Attorneys

Slip and Fall Accidents in Cohoes Can Flip Your Life in Seconds

One wrong step, and everything changes. You might be walking into a Cohoes grocery store or cutting across a sidewalk near Remsen Street when your foot hits something slick or unstable. The next thing you know, you’re flat on your back, hurting and humiliated. What most people call a “simple fall” can leave lasting damage.

At Horn Wright, LLP, we work with people who’ve been seriously injured because someone else didn’t take care of their property. These aren’t just accidents, they’re preventable failures. You shouldn’t be left dealing with the consequences alone.

Our slip and fall accident attorneys are proud to support injured clients across Albany County. When someone’s carelessness causes your pain, we’re ready to build a case that gets results, and helps you start picking up the pieces.

Grocery Stores: Falls Happen Fast in Aisles and Entrances

Whether you were running in for milk or doing your weekly shopping, you didn’t expect to leave the store in an ambulance. But it happens. A little bit of spilled juice, a leaky freezer, or wet mats near the produce section can turn a routine errand into an emergency.

New York’s General Business Law § 349 holds businesses accountable when they fail to protect consumers from known dangers. Grocery store owners and staff have a duty to check floors, maintain safe conditions, and warn about hazards.

In Cohoes, we’ve seen:

• Wet floors left unattended for hours. Stores often rely on undertrained staff or short-staffed shifts, and spills go unnoticed or uncleaned.
• Freezers and coolers leaking without signage. These areas are high-risk, especially in colder months when condensation builds up.
• Entry mats soaked through and left in place. These mats are meant to help, but once saturated, they create a slipping hazard of their own.

We help clients get access to store maintenance logs, video footage, and witness statements, because too often, management wants to act like the hazard didn’t exist at all.

Loose Rugs and Poor Flooring: A Hidden Risk at Home and Work

Falls don’t just happen in big public spaces. Many of our clients in Cohoes are injured in smaller apartment buildings, local offices, and even while visiting someone’s home. One common cause? Loose area rugs, unanchored mats, or bunched-up carpeting.

According to New York Multiple Dwelling Law § 78, landlords and property owners must maintain all parts of a dwelling in good repair. That includes flooring and common areas.

We’ve seen:

• Office rugs with curled edges near staircases. One client caught their foot on a rug edge walking toward a meeting and went headfirst into a handrail.
• Rental hallways where runners were never secured. These mats shift constantly underfoot, especially for tenants with mobility issues.
• Homes with throw rugs placed on polished hardwood floors. Hosts don’t always think about it, but they can still be held liable.

The Danger You Don’t Always Notice

Loose rugs don’t scream “hazard,” but they’re one of the top contributors to preventable indoor falls. We work with experts to demonstrate how a seemingly minor issue like rug slippage can lead to major, life-altering injuries.

Uneven Sidewalks and Walkways in Cohoes

If you live in or near downtown Cohoes, you’ve likely walked sidewalks that slope, crack, or lift with the freeze-thaw cycle. It might feel like part of city life, but when those walkways aren’t maintained, they become real dangers.

Under New York Highway Law § 139, municipalities and property owners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks abutting their property. In many cases, if you trip on a cracked or raised sidewalk, you can hold the adjacent property owner, or even the city, accountable.

What we’ve documented:

• Sidewalks near schools with raised sections caused by tree roots. These lifts are hard to spot and easy to trip over.
• Crumbling curb ramps that hadn’t been repaired in years. People using walkers or strollers are especially vulnerable.
• Walkways in front of businesses that were damaged during construction—but never fixed.

These Are Not “Minor” Falls

Some people hesitate to make a claim after falling outside. But these accidents often involve the worst injuries. Broken wrists, spinal injuries, and facial fractures are all common. We work quickly to secure documentation and file notices on time.

What a Slip and Fall Case in Cohoes Can Actually Cover

The moment you fall, the clock starts ticking—not just for legal timelines, but for the physical and financial tolls that start stacking up. Emergency care is just the beginning. Recovery might take months. Sometimes, the impact never fully goes away.

Our slip and fall accident attorneys build cases that factor in every piece of your loss:

• Medical expenses, including emergency care, diagnostics, treatment, physical therapy, and follow-ups. We also include mileage, medical devices, and anything else required for recovery.
• Time away from work or complete loss of job opportunities. We calculate both current and future wage losses, especially when the injury limits mobility or endurance.
• The physical and emotional toll of the injury. We listen carefully to how your life has changed, from sleep disturbances to missed family events.

We use New York Civil Practice Law & Rules § 1601 to defend against attempts to shift responsibility unfairly. Even if another party shares blame, it doesn’t cancel out your right to recover damages.

Who’s Legally Responsible?

Slip and fall liability can be messy. Sometimes the person or business you think is responsible isn’t the only one. It takes investigation, and that’s where we come in.

In Cohoes cases, we’ve seen liability rest with:

• Landlords who failed to respond to maintenance requests for weeks.
• Property management companies that outsourced cleaning to contractors who weren’t trained.
• Commercial tenants who modified entryways or floors without their landlord’s knowledge.

We sort through leases, maintenance agreements, and insurance policies to find out who had the duty, and who failed in it.

Injuries That Linger Long After the Fall

Not all injuries show up on X-rays. Many of our clients look “fine” on paper, but they’re dealing with very real pain every single day. These are not invisible injuries—they just don’t show up in the way people expect.

Our team has worked with Cohoes residents suffering from:

• Soft tissue damage and nerve compression that causes numbness, tingling, and pain with movement.
• Chronic back pain after impact to the lower spine or tailbone.
• Concussions and mild traumatic brain injuries that lead to dizziness, memory loss, or light sensitivity.

Using New York Insurance Law § 3420, we work with treating physicians to document everything thoroughly so you’re not dismissed or shortchanged.

What Happens if the City of Cohoes Is Involved?

Some of the most dangerous spots in town are on government-managed property, libraries, sidewalks, public lots, and city buildings. If you were hurt in one of these spaces, the law gives you a short window to act.

General Municipal Law § 50-e sets a 90-day deadline for filing a Notice of Claim. Miss it, and you might lose the chance to hold the city responsible.

We move fast. Our attorneys know how to gather storm drain records, ice removal schedules, and facility inspection logs to prove that the danger was known, or should have been.

Let’s Talk About What Happened to You

You didn’t overreact. You’re not “just being dramatic.” If your fall in Cohoes has left you hurting, struggling to work, or dealing with medical debt, it’s okay to want help. Our slip and fall accident attorneys will take your experience seriously, and fight to make things right.

Start by sharing your story. Reach out to one of the best law firms serving New York and let Horn Wright, LLP, go to work for you in Cohoes.