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New York Elevator And Escalator Slip And Fall Accident Attorneys
Elevator And Escalator Injury Lawyers Serving Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx
Elevators and escalators are part of most people’s everyday routines in a dense urban area like New York City. In fact, the five boroughs are home to about 60,000 elevators and 2,200 escalators, according to the New York City Department of Buildings.
While those devices might save time and effort, elevators and escalators also present significant slip and fall hazards. Children and older are adults are the most susceptible to an elevator or escalator accident, but anyone can be injured by an improperly maintained elevator or escalator.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a New York slip and fall or trip and fall accident on an escalator or elevator, protect your rights by calling the New York City slip and fall accident attorneys at David Resnick & Associates, PC, for a consultation. There is no obligation, so call today at (212) 279-2000 or contact the firm through our online form.
About New York City Elevator Accidents
Regulations require all New York City elevators to pass inspection on a regular basis, but that does not prevent poorly maintained elevators from causing serious slip and fall or trip and fall injuries.
One of the most common sources of fall injuries on elevators occurs when the elevator car fails to stop level with the floor. Even a small misalignment can cause riders to trip and fall when exiting or entering an elevator.
Slippery elevator floors can trigger slip and fall accidents, and passengers may suffer fall injuries when an elevator suddenly speeds up or stops abruptly. Some of the most serious injuries — and fatalities — occur when elevator doors open while the car is on another level.
Elevator and escalator accidents kill about 30 people nationwide every year, and injure another 17,000, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Elevator accidents are responsible for the majority of deaths and serious injuries.
Older adults are particularly susceptible to New York City elevator accidents, and more than half of all elevator-related injuries among elders stem from slips, trips or falls, according to an article in Web MD Health News. Soft tissue injuries and hip fractures are among the most common types of injuries.
Children and teenagers are prone to elevator accidents, although they are more likely to be injured by closing elevator doors. According to a press release from the New York City Department of Buildings, 109 children were injured in New York City elevator and escalator accidents during a recent 10-year period, and one child was killed.
When a person is seriously injured in a New York elevator slip and fall accident, several categories of people may be liable. They include the owner of the building, the building’s manager, the company that maintains the elevator and the elevator’s manufacturer.
About New York City Escalator Accidents
Escalators are generally considered safer than elevators, but serious accidents do happen on New York City escalators, and children and older people are most frequently the victims. Americans take about 90 billion escalator trips each year, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that about 11,000 escalator accidents happen each year.
Nearly 40,000 older adults suffered injuries on escalators between 1991 and 2005, according to the most recent study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Slips, trips and falls were the most common cause of these escalator injuries, according to the report.
Small children are vulnerable to escalator accidents, particularly those where shoes or other articles of clothing get caught in the escalator’s mechanism. One legal treatise, Elevator and Escalator Accident Litigation and Reconstruction, 2nd Edition, estimated that more than 1,000 escalator accidents involving children under 5 occur each year.
Falls on escalators are hazardous for people of all ages because they can create a domino effect that causes more people to fall on a crowded escalator. If people fall backwards on an escalator and hit the hard metal stairs, they can suffer serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.
If body parts are caught in the elevator’s mechanism, people can suffer “degloving” injuries that strip the flesh from the affected limb. One nationally certified elevator safety inspector said that such injuries often resemble shark bites.
Despite New York City’s required escalator inspections, improper maintenance is still to blame for many escalator accidents. Some of the more common defects include excessive gaps between the stairs and the sides of the escalator. Missing “teeth” in the grates at escalators’ entrances and exits can trigger falls if shoelaces or articles of clothing are caught. Protruding screws can also snag clothing and trigger a fall.
As with elevators, several parties may be liable for an accident caused by a negligently maintained escalator. A qualified slip and fall attorney like the ones at David Resnick & Associates, PC, can analyze the facts of your case and help determine whether you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.
Call Our New York City Accident Lawyers Today
If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a New York elevator accident or escalator accident, and someone else was at fault, you could be entitled to compensation. The personal injury attorneys at David Resnick & Associates, PC, are skilled at evaluating slip and fall accident claims and have a record of results for their clients. Call our firm today at (212) 279-2000 or use our online contact form for a free evaluation of your case.
We serve elevator accident victims and escalator accident victims in New York City, including the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Long Island.