Elevator Accidents, Injuries & Deaths
Nationwide Legal Help
Elevator accidents can happen with any elevator anywhere. Elevator accidents happen for one of two reasons: either the elevator itself was poorly designed or manufactured and it failed due to the elevator owner(building owner) or the elevator maintanance /repair company failed to properly maintain the elevator within in spec, keep in good repair and operator the elevator within local city codes and not in a safe manner.
Incidents involving elevators and escalators kill about 30 and seriously injure about 17,000 people each year in the United States, according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Elevators cause almost 90% of the deaths and 60% of serious injuries. Injuries to people working on or near elevators - including those installing, repairing, and maintaining elevators, and working in or near elevator shafts - account for 14 (almost half) of the annual deaths. Half of the deaths of workers working in or near elevator shafts were due to falls into the shaft. Incidents where workers were caught in/between moving parts of elevators and escalators, are in or on elevators or platforms that collapse, or are struck by elevators or counterweights are also numerous.
Elevator Accident Prevention
To prevent elevator accidents and escalator-related deaths and injuries elevator owners and elevator repair and mauntanance companies must:
- Establishing a permit-required confined-space program for elevator shafts Providing barricaded and fall protection during work in or near elevator shafts.
- De-energizing and locking out electrical circuits and mechanical equipment when elevators are out of service or being repaired
- Employers have an adequate inspection and maintenance program, and
- Employers use only qualified workers for escalator and elevator repair and maintenance.
Major Elevator Companies
- Certified Elevator
- Columbia Elevator
- Delta Elevator
- Electra Vitoria S. Coop.
- KONE Elevators.
- McKinley Elevator.
- Mitsubishi Elevator.
- Otis Elevators.
- ThyssenKrupp Elevator
Elevator Accidents - Legal Causes of Action
Elevator accidents don't just happen, they results form negligent actions, or in-actions on the part of someone. In most elevator accident cases, the accident or death could have been easily prevented if the elevator owner or building management had kept the elevator up to the highest safety codes with the newest safety devices available. Elevator repair and maintanance companies can also be found liable for poorly maintained or faulty elevators. If a building owner hires a company that does poor or shotty work, then the building owner may be help responsible for its agents poor or negligent workmanship. Elevators in most cities are highly regulated and the law often holds building owners, landlords, elevator maintenance companies and elevator manufacturers responsible for injuries and deaths caused by their negligence.
Time is of the Essence in Elevator Accidents
After an elevator accident often the injured person or surviving family is having to deal with the day to day consequences of the getting medical treatment for one's injuries or even having to make funeral and burial arrangements for the death of their loved one. While this is occurring, potential evidence of the accident scene may be lost, not properly recorded, and faulty parts even destroyed or "lost". It is for these reasons, the injured person or victim's family needs to tlak to a trial lawyer very experienced in elevators, cranes, winches and other technical machinery, safety codes, building codes and other safety prevention measures.
Elevator Accident Lawyer
Call and talk to a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1988 and practicing over 25+ years. Mr. Willis is licensed in Texas & New York and investigator major disaster and injury cases nationwide.
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