In NYC sidewalk work, hold harmless language appears in construction contracts, leases, and permit paperwork: a contractor may hold the owner harmless for injuries arising from the contractor's work zone, or a tenant may accept risk for its cellar door operations. These clauses allocate risk between the signing parties but do not erase the owner's non-delegable duty to injured pedestrians, who can still sue the owner directly. Their real value is in the reimbursement fight afterward. Owners hiring a sidewalk contractor should confirm the contract's risk language and the contractor's insurance rather than relying on the clause alone.
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