Elevator Accident Lawyers

If you or someone you know has been involved in an elevator accident, contact us immediately. Prior to taking legal action, a claimant must first figure out who is to blame for the incident. This might be difficult because elevators are sophisticated technology. There are times when the property owner is held liable for an accident. Other instances might be the fault of the elevator or escalator manufacturer.

• Property Owner Liability:

  Landlords are responsible for keeping their properties safe for visitors. They could be held liable if they were aware of an issue with the elevator/escalator and didn’t fix it.

• Manufacturer Liability:

  Elevators and escalators are sometimes built or manufactured incorrectly. When an elevator/escalator has a design fault, is faulty, or was not properly labelled, accidents may occur. These events might lead to a product liability issue for which the manufacturer is responsible.

Causes Of Elevator Accidents

Elevators may seem harmless, but they have the ability to injure a person in a variety of ways. Some elevator malfunctions are random occurrences that cannot be avoided, while others are due to foreseeable factors:

• Inadequate training for onsite workers
• Lack of barriers to prevent falls down shafts
• Lack of fall protection
• Elevators are still operational when out of service/undergoing repairs
• Inspection and/or maintenance may be insufficient.

Types Of Elevator Accidents

Here are a handful of the most prevalent elevator and escalator accidents that can result in serious injuries or death:

• Fall down an elevator shaft or fall from an escalator
• Caught in or between moving elevator/escalator parts
• Struck by elevator or counterweight
• Elevator or elevator platform collapse

The space between the elevator car door and the hoistway door in some home elevators can trap children, according to a consumer warning issued by the CPSC last year. According to the CPSC, “Children, some as young as two and as old as 12, have been crushed to death in this gap, suffering numerous skull fractures, fractured vertebrae, and traumatic asphyxia.”

Types Of Elevator Defects And Malfunctions

Elevators are prone to failure and malfunction in a variety of ways, all of which may be hazardous to passengers:

• Mechanical breakdowns or defects causing an elevator to drop suddenly
• An elevator drops down the shaft after a pulley system failure.
• Defective doors put you and your family in danger of falling or being crushed.
• Faulty electrical wiring or elevator control failure, which may result in electrocution
• Repairs or maintenance that is incomplete or incorrect
• Inspections performed by unqualified or careless workers
• Unbalanced leveling so the elevator does not line up with the floor
• Entrapment due to faulty doors, wiring, or heat from a fire or water supplied by emergency sprinklers or hoses

Types Of Escalator Defects And Malfunctions

Escalators are hazardous, particularly if they’re faulty or not maintained properly. Defects that have resulted in escalator accidents include:

• Loose or missing screws
• Broken or missing steps
• Too much space between the steps and the escalator sides
• Missing teeth on the escalator track
• General mechanical malfunction

Elevators and escalators are usually faulty for children and the elderly. Children may get their fingers trapped if the openings around the handrails conveyer are too big, and the elderly frequently trip and fall on escalators. Loose-fitting shoes, such as sandals, have also been found to raise the likelihood of getting hurt on an inadequately designed escalator.

Elevator Accident Injuries

Elevator-related injuries may be serious and even fatal. Some of the most frequent injuries seen in these situations are:

• Broken bones
• Ligament damage
• Head injuries/concussion
• Spinal injuries
• Amputated limbs
• Death

Proving Negligence

You might be wondering how to proceed if you believe that the elevator’s operator, manufacturer, or another party is at blame for your injuries. The legal term for responsibility or liability in an accident is “negligence.” The following conditions must be met to prove negligence:

• The Other Party Owed You A Duty Of Care. 

  They were in charge of operating the elevator in a safe manner, but they didn’t.

• They Breached Their Duty.

   The other party violated their legal responsibility to keep you safe.

• Their Breach Caused The Accident.

   The other person’s behavior was to blame for the incident, making them legally accountable.

• There Were Losses Suffered As A Result. 

The conduct of the other party has caused you harm (physical or emotional) or damage to property.

Potential Damages

You may be able to hire an elevator injury lawyer to sue for compensation if you or a loved one was hurt in an elevator accident.

• Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
• Past, current, and future medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Physical therapy
• Loss of life’s enjoyment
• Funeral expenses

Recovering Compensation

If a victim of elevator accidents can show that the negligence of another person was to blame for an accident, he or she may be eligible for financial compensation, which will help alleviate some of the financial difficulties they experienced as a result of the incident. Economic and non-economic damages are two varieties of compensation that injured persons can seek.

Speak To An Elevator Accident Injury Lawyer

If you were injured while riding an elevator or an escalator, contact Texas Elevator Accident Injury Lawyers. Our elevator accident lawyer can examine the facts of your scenario and establish responsibility for your injuries, as well as assist you in obtaining monetary compensation during this difficult time.

Call us at (888) 997-2148, there is no charge for your first case evaluation.

We take cases on a contingency fee basis and there are no costs unless we win, and the consultation is completely FREE. Contact us to learn what Texas Personal Injury Lawyers can accomplish for you.