If your business was disrupted by the structural emergency at the high-rise construction project on East 42nd Street, you may already be asking whether you have a legal claim. That question is worth answering, and you can find out today with a free case review from Cory Watson Attorneys. Contact us now, as waiting can reduce the chances of a successful claim.
This post covers something just as important: What to document right now, while the details are still fresh and the records are still easy to gather.
Why Documentation Often Decides the Outcome
Every business that lost income because of the evacuation, street closures, or restricted access near East 42nd Street has a story to tell. But when it comes to recovering those losses, the strength of a claim usually comes down to how well that story is backed up with records.
Insurance adjusters and opposing attorneys look closely at the paper trail. A business that can show exactly what changed, and by how much, is in a far stronger position than one relying on memory or rough estimates. That is true whether a claim is resolved through negotiation, insurance, or litigation.
The good news is that most of what you need is probably already sitting in your accounting software, your email, or your phone's camera roll. It just needs to be pulled together before it becomes harder to find.
The Documentation Checklist
1. Profit and Loss Statements (Before and During)
Pull your P&L for a comparable period before the disruption, not just during it. A "before" baseline is what makes the "during" numbers meaningful. Without it, a drop in revenue is just a number with no context.
2. Sales or Point-of-Sale Reports
Daily or hourly sales data can show exactly when foot traffic or transactions dropped off, which helps tie the loss directly to the timeline of the evacuation and street closures.
3. Payroll Records
If you paid employees who could not work normally, whether because your location was inaccessible or because business slowed to a crawl, those payroll records document a real cost tied directly to the disruption.
4. Cancelled Appointments, Reservations, or Orders
Screenshots, calendar exports, or booking system logs showing cancellations or no-shows during the affected period are strong, specific evidence of lost business.
5. Photos or Video from the Evacuation
Anything you captured during the emergency, from street closures to barricades to empty storefronts, helps establish the scope and timeline of the disruption.
6. Official Notices
Save any communications from the FDNY, the Department of Buildings, your landlord, or building management regarding evacuation orders, vacate notices, or access restrictions. These are some of the most credible pieces of documentation you can have.
7. Communications with Customers, Vendors, or Employees
Emails or messages about cancelled meetings, delayed shipments, or schedule changes help paint a full picture of how the disruption rippled through your operations.
8. Receipts for Additional Costs
Temporary relocation expenses, overtime pay, expedited shipping, or any other extra cost incurred because of the emergency should be tracked separately, since these are often recoverable in addition to lost income.
Common Mistakes Businesses Make After an Incident Like This
Waiting until things calm down. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to reconstruct an accurate record of what happened and when.
Relying on memory instead of written logs. A rough recollection weeks later is far less persuasive than a same-day note or export.
Discarding receipts for short-term costs. Small expenses add up, and they are often the easiest losses to overlook.
Assuming losses stopped the moment you reopened. Reduced customer traffic, rescheduled business, and lingering disruption can continue well after operations resume, and those losses may still count.
A Simple System for Staying Organized
You do not need anything complicated to keep your documentation in order. A single folder, whether physical or digital, works well if you organize it by category: financial records, communications, notices, and receipts. A basic spreadsheet logging the date, description, and estimated cost of each item as you gather it can also save significant time later, whether you pursue a claim or simply want a clear record for your own purposes.
What Good Documentation Does for You
Strong records do more than support a potential legal claim. They also give you a clear picture of exactly how the disruption affected your business, which can be useful for insurance purposes, tax planning, or simply understanding your own recovery.
Next Step: Find Out If You Have a Claim
Gathering documentation is something you can start today, regardless of whether you decide to pursue a claim. But if your business lost income because of the East 42nd Street high-rise emergency, it is worth finding out where you stand.
Cory Watson Attorneys is reviewing cases for businesses affected by this incident at no cost. Visit the Manhattan Business Interruption Lawsuit page to learn more or contact us now to start a free case review.