An interior designer is suing popular CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper, after suffering a 17-foot fall in the anchor’s Greenwich Village firehouse that he is having converted into a home.
Killian O’Brian of Brooklyn, who has experience in upscale interior designer, fell on September 22nd while she was working at the former firehouse. She fell through a hole that used to house a fire pole. The holes had apparently been covered but the covers had been removed before O’Brian got there.
The lawsuit, filed in November asks for an unspecified amount of damages. O’Brian’s attorney, Neil Greenburg says his client is lucky to be alive. He describes her injuries as severe but declines to go into detail as to the extent of those injuries. She is said to be in physical therapy and suffering permanent injuries.
Cooper bought the firehouse in September. The Manhattan firehouse was home to a fire patrol backed by the New York Board of Underwriters from 1906 until 2006. Cooper purchased the building for $4.3 million. In January the building was nominated for a spot on the National Register of Historic places.
Cooper hired residential real-estate developer Cary Tamarkin to help with the restoration. Tamarkin’s company is also being named in the suit.
Under MOST state laws, during a restoration or construction, only the contractor is responsible. The owner isn’t usually responsible for damages until the job is done and the keys are handed to them. The reason for this, is that although the owner can observe the contractor to make sure they are doing the job, the owner can’t be responsible for the contractors actions, other than firing them but sometimes that can go against a contract. So, it all depends on city and state laws.
Another person trying to make money…. I taught you had to have contracter Insurance and bonded case something like that does happen. I don’t see how It would be Cooper fault…..
She should have make sure everything looked safe before she started her work. Even if the owner of the house say this and that, it was her responsibility to check the house before she work. Oh welp.