A sudden drop in an elevator can be a terrifying experience. The passenger may be thrown to the floor, flung against a wall, or jerked intensely. Consequently, serious injuries and pain can come from this alarming ordeal.
Personal injury lawyers who deal with elevator accidents and injuries could assist you in establishing whether negligence caused your accident. A personal injury attorney is able to analyze the details of your accident and determine who is responsible legally for your injuries. With his or her legal assistance, you can obtain compensation financially for your injuries.
If you have been hurt in an elevator drop accident, please let the New York personal injury attorneys at Hill & Moin LLP help you. We know how the laws of New York pertain to elevator drop accidents. When you have a lawyer with our law firm on your side, you will see that it is “like having a lawyer in the family.”
Call (212) 668-6000 and schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with our legal team.
Why Do Elevators Drop?
The vast majority of cases that include a sudden rise or drop in an elevator car are because of a malfunction of some sort. Malfunctions can occur when the physical equipment that moves the elevator breaks, deteriorates, or incurs some type of damage.
An electric or mechanical problem can occur that impedes or confuses the signals within the elevator. This sudden mix of signals or confusion in the elevator can cause it to move suddenly in one direction.
How Far Does an Elevator Typically Drop?
At the New York World’s Fair in the year 1853, the man Elijah Otis stood upon a platform very similar to an elevator. The platform was lifted into the air by a single rope. Mr. Otis told a man with an ax to cut this rope.
The axman cut the rope which had pulled the platform into the air. The audience was amazed when the platform fell only a few inches before it came to a stop. Mr. Otis demonstrated to the crowd the first safety locking mechanism for a raised platform. This safety locking mechanism in the years to follow would be applied to elevators in skyscrapers.
Therefore, elevators constructed in the 20th century and beyond have backup brakes built into them. These powerful backup breaks automatically engage when an elevator begins to descend rapidly. These safety measures are in place to ensure the safety of passengers.
Although you might see movie scenes that depict all the cables of an elevator coming apart. In real life, the likelihood of all six to eight steel cables of an elevator snapping is an extremely unlikely scenario.
In the unlikely scenario where all the cables attached to an elevator break or snap, the safety brakes would engage after the elevator descends only a few feet. These backup brakes, or safety brakes, are mechanical. Therefore, they can continue to operate even without power or a human present to activate them.
Although an elevator will typically only drop a few feet (at the most) before the safety brakes engage, passengers can be seriously injured during the drop. Depending on the reason for the unexpected elevator drop, injured passengers may be eligible to receive financial restitution. It is important to speak to an elevator drop accident injury lawyer to know whether your injuries and accident entitle you to restitution.
Who is Responsible for an Elevator Drop Accident?
It is nearly impossible for someone in an elevator to cause the elevator to drop. Therefore, it is unlikely that negligence on the part of the injured passenger was the cause of the elevator drop.
Of course, elevators themselves cannot act with negligence or malice. Even so, these powerful machines are built in a way that requires little input, cooperation, and communication from their passengers – so who is likely the negligent party that should be held responsible?
Frequently, elevator accidents – including elevator drops – are the result of defective elevator parts. Or, at times, an elevator malfunction, such as a drop, is caused by the failure of an elevator serviceman. This may be the case if the serviceman is failing to perform his or her repairs or maintenance correctly.
Suppose it is established that negligence on the part of an elevator serviceman or defective elevator parts caused your injuries. In that case, the at-fault party may be held accountable. Thus, the costs and pain and suffering caused by your injuries in the elevator drop can be applied to him or her.
What Types of Injuries Can Be Suffered in an Elevator Drop Accident?
Today in the 21st century, it is reassuring to know that it is extremely improbable for a person to die in an elevator drop that descends to the bottom of the shaft and crashes into the floor. However, an elevator drop, to some degree, whether inches or feet, can still happen.
Although only a few inches or feet, the sudden descent can hurl a passenger to the wall or floor and cause serious injuries. The more common injuries a passenger may experience in an elevator drop accident include:
- Abrasions
- Lacerations
- Bruises
- Cuts
- Fractures
- Dislocations
- Broken bones
- Traumatic head injuries (also known as TBIs)
- Concussions
- Fractured skull
- Paralysis
This list does not include all types of injuries you may experience in an elevator drop accident. Compensation is attainable for the medical bills for these injuries if negligence was the reason for the elevator drop. In addition, you can obtain financial restitution for the pain and suffering you have experienced because of the accident.
You Can Obtain Financial Restitution After an Elevator Drop Accident
Injuries caused by an elevator drop accident can be severe and agonizing. The resulting conditions may involve broken bones, concussions, and worse. The medical bills involved in your recovery can be substantial and long-term.
The thought of paying for these medical costs can be overwhelming. It is good to know that it is possible for you to obtain financial restitution for the costs incurred following an elevator drop accident.
You may qualify to get compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Rehabilitation
In order to protect your financial security presently and in the future, it is key to speak with a New York City elevator drop accident lawyer as soon as possible. With the help of an attorney, you can get the compensation that you require after an elevator drop accident.
Other Elevator-Related Accidents That Require the Assistance of a Knowledgeable Attorney
How common are elevator injuries? Research from the US Bureau of Labor Statisticsand the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that accidents involving elevators and escalators seriously injure nearly 17,000 people each year in the United States.
In addition to elevator drops, there are other incidents related to elevators that can cause serious injuries. Elevators can malfunction and trap their passengers. A construction worker can get injured in the installation and construction process of an elevator. Maintenance men can be hurt while performing services to an elevator.
Other elevator-related injuries can include:
- An unexpected, dramatic increase or decrease in the elevator speed
- The elevator failing to line up accurately with the building floor (known commonly as misleveling)
- A fall down an open elevator shaft
- Passengers becoming trapped within the elevator
- A person getting caught and crushed between the elevator and the shaft wall
- A failure of the elevator door safety mechanisms
- Wet floors, causing slip-and-fall accidents
Time and again, an elevator accident is caused by poor maintenance or a responsible party failing to correct defects or broken safety measures. A personal injury attorney who is familiar with elevator accidents can help you pursue the legal actions that are in your best interest.
How a New York Elevator Drop Accident Injury Lawyer Can Help You
An elevator drop accident can leave a victim dazed and confused. Trying to determine who is legally accountable for the accident and injuries can seem equally confusing. This is because elevator accidents include many complex aspects.
Were you injured in an elevator drop accident? Do you think that the operator of the elevator, the manufacturer, or another party is to blame? Are you unsure of the necessary steps to prove that another party caused your accident?
The personal injury law firm at Hill & Moin LLP can help you. We can connect you with elevator drop accident injury lawyers who can provide you with crucial assistance. Reach a personal injury attorney at (212) 668-6000 to schedule your initial free consultation today to learn your Personal Injury Recovery SolutionsⓇ.
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