Two people were rescued Dec. 8 after an elevator accident at the Bronx Terminal Market Target store. According to a CBS New York news report, the incident started as a scuffle between a security guard at the store and a teen who was accused of shoplifting. CBS reports that the security guard, a 29-year-old man, was trying to get the 16-year-old out of the store when a struggle ensued and the two hit an elevator door that opened. Both fell three floors down the empty elevator shaft.
Tense Rescue from Elevator Shaft
One of the two victims landed on top of the elevator and the other fell down below it into the pit of the shaft, fire officials said. FDNY members had to breach a wall and use ropes to pull the victim from the shaft. Both the security worker and the teen were transported to area hospitals and are expected to survive.
Dozens of shoppers watched as first responders put extensive confined space rescue training to work to save both men. Fire officials said they set up a rope system to bring the victim up and out of the elevator shaft in about an hour. The person who had fallen into the elevator pit had suffered critical injuries, officials said.
The Danger of Elevator Accidents
Falls down elevator shafts are the most common type of elevator accidents and frequently result in serious injuries or death. Similar injuries can occur also when individuals are caught in or between moving elevator/escalator parts, when an elevator platform collapses, or when someone gets struck by the elevator or counterweight.
Some of the most common causes of elevator accidents include:
• Misleveling, which occurs when an elevator car fails to stop with the base aligned to the floor of the building
• Faulty Sliding Doors
• Lack of barriers to prevent falls down elevator shafts
• Improper elevator design
• Improper elevator design
• Lack of proper inspection and maintenance
• Defective strips on elevator doors
Elevator accidents can result in severe injuries ranging from soft tissue injuries and broken bones to concussions, severe brain trauma, spinal cord injuries, amputation or even death.
Responsibility of Property Owners/Managers
There are a number of parties that may be held liable in an elevator accident. When the accident and injuries occur due to lack of elevator maintenance, the property owner and manager may be held liable for the damages caused. If improper or nonexistent maintenance caused or contributed to an elevator malfunction and an accident, the company that performed the repairs and/or maintenance may also be held liable.
Victims in these types of accidents can file what is known as a premises liability lawsuit against responsible parties such as the at-fault property owners and/or managing agents, elevator maintenance companies, elevator manufacturers (for any component or equipment failure or due to defective design/manufacturing), etc. and seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Those who have lost loved ones in elevator accidents may be able to file wrongful death lawsuits against the negligent (careless) parties seeking compensation for their losses as well.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
For over 51 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims. If you or a loved one has been injured in an elevator/escalator accident or suffered injuries as a result of negligence (carelessness) on the part of property owners and/or property managers, elevator maintenance companies, etc., the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Our law firm recovered $3,000,000 for a man who fell and suffered two broken legs when he walked into an open elevator shaft. In an interview by the Canadian television station Global News after a fatal escalator accident in Montreal, Mr. Kenneth A. Wilhelm stated that the installation of emergency stop buttons that are easily located and run the entire length of the escalator stairs may go a long way in preventing escalator accident injuries and fatalities. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/2-rescued-from-elevator-at-bronx-target-store/