Different agencies and owners are charged with keeping NYC public areas safe. For city parks and playgrounds, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation maintains city parks and playgrounds. If you are injured in a city park or playground, the City of New York (through the Parks Department) is generally the party responsible. Though, some large parks are operated by state or federal authorities, who would be liable on their lands, but most local parks fall under NYC’s care.
Sidewalks
For sidewalks, New York City law makes most property owners responsible for the sidewalks in front of their buildings. Under NYC Administrative Code § 7-210, owners of properties abutting a sidewalk, except for one-, two- or three-family homes that are owner-occupied, must keep the sidewalk in a reasonably safe condition.
In practice, this means if a sidewalk is cracked or icy and someone slips, the abutting property owner (such as a store or landlord) may be liable for not maintaining it. The city generally is not liable for sidewalk injuries outside of one- to three-family residences, although the city still handles certain elements like city-owned trees or curb maintenance.
Negligence and premises liability in public areas
Liability for an injury in a public area usually comes down to premises liability and negligence law. The core question is whether the party responsible failed to use reasonable care in maintaining the area. To prove negligence, an injured person must show that the entity in control of the property had a duty to keep it safe, breached that duty by acting carelessly (or failing to fix a dangerous condition) and that this breach caused the injury.
Filing a claim against the city
When the potentially liable party is a government entity like the City of New York, there are special procedural rules. Section 50-e of New York General Municipal Law requires a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the incident. This written notice to the city (usually filed with the City Comptroller) gives details of when, where and how the injury happened. Failing to file this notice within 90 days can bar you from suing the city as courts strictly enforce this deadline.
By collecting clear evidence of a dangerous condition and showing negligence (a failure to address that danger), an injured person greatly strengthens their claim. All of these pieces, identifying the correct responsible entity, following the notice of claim rules and backing up the story with solid evidence, are key to navigating injury claims.