Here is the complaint filed in Supreme Court, Richmond County (Staten Island) by firefighter Andrew Cannon against homeowner Kudar Uday. Plaintiff seeks recovery for injuries sustained while battling a fire at defendants’ house.
At common law, the so-called “firefighter’s rule” in New York barred firefighters and police officers from recovering for injuries caused by negligence in the situations that necessitated their services. That rule, however, was superseded by General Municipal Law § 11-106 and General Municipal Law § 205-a, which give injured firefighters a cause of action in certain circumstances against entities other than municipal entities and co-workers.