Most of us use an elevator or escalator at some point virtually every day – whether at work, while shopping, when traveling, or even at home. Although this everyday convenience certainly makes life easier, you might not realize how often injuries occur as a result of elevator or escalator accidents.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that incidents involving elevators and escalators seriously injure about 17,000 people each year in the United States. Furthermore, elevator and escalator accidents result in approximately 30 fatalities annually. Elevators are the culprit in the majority of those accidents, accounting for 90% of deaths and 60% of serious injuries.
If you’re injured in an elevator or escalator accident as a result of negligence, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. Additionally, in tragic elevator or escalator accidents where a fatality occurs, the surviving family members may be eligible to obtain justice through a wrongful death lawsuit.
Below we will look at how elevator and escalator accidents typically occur, review what damages may be recoverable after an injury, and discuss how to file a claim with Dordulian Law Group in pursuit of maximum financial compensation.
Elevator accidents can vary in terms of the circumstances as well as the severity of the resulting injury. Some of the most common causes of elevator accidents include:
Elevator accidents can occur in public spaces as well as in private residences. In 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an alert to consumers with home elevators noting that a “deadly” gap between the elevator car door and the elevator hoistway door could pose a danger to children (specifically the potential for being crushed to death). According to the CPSC:
“The distance between the inner elevator car door or gate and the exterior (i.e., hoistway) elevator access door may be too deep to protect small children. If the gap is too deep between any exterior (i.e., hoistway) door and the farthest point of the inner door (which is often an accordion door) a child can enter and close the exterior (i.e., hoistway) door without opening the interior car door, and become entrapped between the two doors, resulting in serious injuries or death when the elevator car moves. Children, some as young as two and as old as 12, have been crushed to death in this gap, suffering multiple skull fractures, fractured vertebrae and traumatic asphyxia. Other children have suffered horrific and lifelong injuries.”
Elevators require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure malfunctions are prevented. In many cases, elevator accidents causing injuries are ultimately a result of either a lack of maintenance/inspection or improperly conducted maintenance/inspection. Both scenarios legally constitute negligence, and if you’re injured as a result you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation.
Escalators can pose a number of dangers to both adults and children. Some of the most common causes of escalator accidents include:
Escalator accidents most commonly occur as a result of clothing or shoelaces becoming entangled in either the steps or what’s known as the ‘skirt’ or the ‘landing grid’ areas of the machine. When this occurs, a person can easily become trapped and suddenly fall to the ground – often resulting in serious injuries.
Whether the elevator doors close too quickly/forcefully or the escalator suddenly malfunctions and causes you to fall, any number of circumstances can lead to any number of injuries. Some of the most common injuries that occur as a result of an elevator or escalator accident include:
If you’ve been injured in an elevator or escalator accident, having a trusted and proven attorney can help ensure your claim is handled properly and you recover maximum financial compensation. Proving negligence in an elevator or escalator accident requires skill and experience, and the top-rated personal injury attorneys at Dordulian Law Group (DLG) offer an unparalleled level of both in addition to proven results.
Elevator and escalator accidents fall under what’s known as the premises liability subset of personal injury law. While your injuries may be severe after an elevator or escalator accident, the negligent party or insurance company will certainly try to minimize the amount of compensation you receive.
DLG has helped injured victims recover multi-million dollar damages awards for their premises liability claims, and we’ll fight to help you secure the maximum compensation you deserve. Some recent cases that resulted in multi-million dollar financial damages awards for our clients (despite initial settlement offers of just $5,000 from the insurance companies) include:
If you’ve been injured in an elevator or escalator accident, don’t accept any type of settlement from the at-fault party or insurance company without first consulting with an experienced and trusted DLG personal injury lawyer. When you reach out to DLG, we’ll take action to pursue justice on your behalf:
After an elevator or escalator accident injury, we’ll fight to recover all applicable damages for your claim. That includes both economic and non-economic damages as well as (in the case of a tragic fatality) wrongful death damages. Let’s take a look at the various types of damages that are commonly recovered after elevator or escalator accidents.
Economic Damages:
Non-Economic Damages:
Wrongful Death Damages:
Regardless of the severity of your injury, the experienced and trusted elevator and escalator accident lawyers at DLG will fight aggressively to secure the maximum financial damages award you deserve.
In California, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is almost always two years from the date that the incident occurred. However, when pursuing claims against government entities or other specific at-fault parties, the statute of limitations could be much shorter (sometimes only six months).
That’s why it’s recommended that injured victims contact an experienced DLG elevator and escalator accident lawyer immediately following an incident. Taking immediate action will increase your chances of success and also ensure your claim is filed timely, properly, and in accordance with all state and local regulations.
An estimated value of your elevator or escalator accident injury lawsuit will provided by your DLG lawyer after the discovery and investigation process has been conducted. At DLG, we always fight to recover every applicable type of damages for your elevator or escalator injury claim. Such damages may include petitioning for reimbursement of all your medical expenses, as well as recovering compensation for any pain and suffering (such as discomfort, chronic joint pain, headaches, or body pain) or emotional trauma.
When you’re injured in an elevator or escalator accident, you need an experienced and proven attorney to handle your claim. DLG was founded by Sam Dordulian, a former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County with more than 25 years of personal injury expertise. Having obtained over 100 jury trial victories, Dordulian offers injured victims a level of experience and results that simply can’t be matched by other firms. When you choose DLG, you can be confident that your elevator or escalator injury claim is in the best possible hands.
If you experienced a Escalator Accident Injury, don’t wait to file a claim. Contact our expert attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
We’ll assess the facts of your case and help you determine the best path forward. Additionally, we’ll be able to provide you with an estimate for how much a possible settlement or verdict might be worth.
At DLG, our skill, experience, and proven results are unparalleled. Additionally, we provide each and every client with the professionalism, personalized attention, and compassion they deserve. Elevator and escalator accident victims throughout the nation consistently turn to DLG to handle their claims, obtain justice, and recover maximum financial compensation on their behalf because of our experience, advantages, and results:
To file a claim, contact an elevator and escalator accident injury attorney from DLG today for a free and no obligation consultation at 818-322-4056.
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