The woman was 35-years-old and was on a first date the night of the accident. Police have ruled out the possibility of foul play or alcohol as being a cause of the fatality. Manhattan’s Department of Buildings did an inspection of the apartment’s other balconies to determine if the building was a dangerous property. Apartment residents were ordered to not go out onto their balconies until the investigation was completed and the property was deemed safe.
According to other residents, the building’s balconies measure around two feet or less. Most residents use them for standing and smoking. A witness to the tragedy stated that she heard a loud thud but never imagined that it was someone falling.
Fatalities that are the result of a dangerous property condition may be avoided with due diligence on the part of the property owner or management company. One way to lower the number of accidents in a building is for the management to conduct periodic building inspections. In this instance, the apartment building had hazardous conditions that could have been discovered had management assessed the stability of the balcony. Victims who are injured by negligent property owners may have a claim for compensation. An experienced personal injury attorney may be able to help a victim receive compensation for injuries sustained as a result of faulty building maintenance.
Source: CBS New York, “Woman Killed In 17-Story Fall From Midtown Manhattan Balcony“, August 01, 2013