Case Study: NYC Ceiling Falls Through

Call Now to Request a Free Consultation (646) 647-3398

The Following People Contributed to This Page

Written byLoyda GomezParalegal & Office ManagerB.A.Sc., Political Science & Government, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), 22+ years at The Orlow Firm, Bilingual: English and Spanish

Updated: December 15, 2025 · 3 min read

People who live in apartments will understand the predicament that are amenities that these apartment units provide. This is why the local super is there to make sure little things such as leaks and unstable foundation are fixed pronto, unless they require heavy utility assistance. However, there are situations where tenants really do suffer injury from improperly-maintained amenities. These fall under the responsibility of the building owner or landlord, who is legally required to maintain the safety of his or her tenants with proper maintenance under New York Real Property Law § 235-b and the NYC Housing Maintenance Code. In this particular case, our client is a tenant in an apartment that was injured by a collapsed ceiling. Our client was just taking a shower when the ceiling all of a sudden collapsed above her. She sustained injuries that eventually needed surgeries. When the case was taken to the Orlow Firm, our team of experienced professionals gradually found out through testimonies from neighbors and actual photo evidence that the apartment was in fact bothered by a persistent water leak that was not repaired properly. While maintenance was done to the leaked areas, the actual leaking — probably from a pipe — was not fixed. Rather, the wet ceilings were simply patched up. The leakages were in fact very long standing that it did not come from the ceiling of our client, but in fact from the ceiling of the tenant above her. The accumulated water may have forced the ceiling to collapse on top of our client, resulting in injuries and the eventual surgery. Our firm was able to prove that there was negligence on the part of the building management, and was able to resolve the case in favor of the client. Our lawyers and experts at the Orlow Firm will ensure that our clients are well aware of the various options available to them in these situations. Our team will make sure clients are up to date and are regularly contacted to be made aware of the current situation and progress of their cases. Are you curious about a certain aspect of the law? If you are curious enough, you can contact The Orlow Firm and its New York Office. We also give free consultation with one of our lawyers, and may provide you help regarding premises liability and apartment injury cases.

Sources

The Following People Contributed to This Page

Written by

Loyda Gomez

Paralegal & Office ManagerB.A.Sc., Political Science & Government, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY), 22+ years at The Orlow Firm, Bilingual: English and Spanish

Case Studies

Case Study: New York City Slip and Fall at Work

Employees working under an enterprise or a company are the responsibility of their employers. This means employees should be working under good and stable working conditions. After all, the workplace...

Case Studies

Case Study: NYC Sidewalk Slip and Fall

Did you know there are actually cases where the defendant is an entire city? These cases happen when certain situations point towards a city as the one responsible for the damages that happen to the...

Case Studies

Case Study: NYC Staircase Trip and Fall

Service jobs are noble livelihoods, as these have workers directly helping other individuals. However, there really are circumstances which service workers can be injured on the job because of...

Case Studies

Case Study: NYC Child Injured by Door

Children are very precious gifts to the world, which is why certain cases like our client here tend to be very sensitive subjects. When it comes to amenities like doors and other functional spaces in...

Free Case Evaluation

The Orlow Firm’s Accolades

Founded in 1982, The Orlow Firm has earned many top-level honors for its excellence, compassion, and legal excellence. These recognitions reflect our unwavering commitment to achieving justice, delivering results, and providing compassionate, personalized representation to injury victims in Queens and throughout New York City.