Firefighter sues Macy’s in slip & fall

A city firefighter says he was hosed by Macy’s.

FDNY firefighter Richard Kane says he got hurt when he slipped on garbage while responding to a fire at the department store’s Staten Island Mall location, according to a lawsuit filed in Richmond Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Kane says he suffered serious injuries as a result of the “accumulation of rubbish and/or other waste” at the Macy’s in New Springville in May 2016.

He did not detail his injuries. His lawyer, Steve FilsAime, declined to comment.

He has since retired from the FDNY, officials said.

The blaze broke out in the store’s elevator room after a motor malfunction May 14, 2016, spewing enough smoke to force the store’s evacuation, an FDNY spokesman said. Firefighters brought it under control in about an hour.

The suit also names Kane’s wife Christine as a plaintiff, claiming Macy’s negligence deprived her of the “services, society, companionship and affection of her spouse.”

Though their medical bills are covered for on-the-job injuries, city emergency workers occasionally sue private companies and homeowners.

In 2014, a firefighter sued a Staten Island homeowner after suffering a shoulder injury in a 2009 blaze. Families of firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino, who died in the 2007 Deutsche Bank fire, settled with the contractor overseeing the tower’s demolition for millions.

Municipal law gives first responders and firefighters the right to sue property owners if they’re injured as a result of negligence.

Attorney Peter Gleason, who regularly represents firefighters and cops, said he’s been involved in more than 100 such cases in 15 years.

“The reality is buildings should be kept in suitable repair,” Gleason said. “Building owners should be put on notice. We know who controls this town is the real estate interest, and they need to keep their house in order.”

The FDNY and Macy’s declined to comment on the suit.