A 78-year-old man is recovering in the hospital from injuries he suffered in an elevator accident in the Bronx the afternoon of Feb. 2. According to a News 12 report, the man fell down an elevator shaft in a building at 1025 Boynton Avenue in Soundview. The victim’s family members told News 12 that the man had left his sixth-floor apartment to take the elevator when he fell about half a dozen stories through the shaft.
The FDNY, NYPD, elevator technicians and the city’s Department of Buildings were among the agencies that responded to the incident. FDNY officials said the victim landed on top of the elevator car on the first floor and had to be hoisted by first responders. News 12 quoted Battalion Chief Walter Kowalski that the victim was transported to a local hospital and is expected to recover. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim. We wish him the very well for a speedy and complete recovery.
What Causes Elevator Shaft Falls?
Elevator shaft fall accidents are often severe and can result in fatalities or life-threatening injuries. These incidents typically occur due to a combination of human error, mechanical failures, and safety lapses. Here are some of the most common causes of such elevator accidents:
- Inadequate safety barriers: One major cause is the lack of proper safety barriers. Open or improperly secured elevator shafts create a hazardous environment, especially in construction sites where workers may be exposed to unprotected openings.
- Mechanical malfunctions: Misaligned elevators, mis-leveling, faulty sensors, or sudden drops triggered by mechanical malfunctions can also contribute to falls down elevator shafts. Equipment failure such as malfunctioning doors or an elevator stopping between floors, can also lead to individuals accidentally falling.
- Lack of proper maintenance: When elevators are not properly maintained by building owners, property managers, maintenance companies or other parties, the consequences can be devastating. Lack of proper maintenance or inadequate maintenance can also result in these types of elevator accidents.
- Other dangerous conditions: Poor lighting and lack of warning signs can further increase the risk, making it difficult to recognize an open shaft.
Who Can Be Held Liable for an Elevator Accident?
Liability for an elevator accident depends on the circumstances of the incident and the parties responsible for elevator maintenance, operation and safety. Here are some of the parties who may be held liable:
- Building owners and property managers: These parties are typically responsible for ensuring the elevator is regularly inspected, properly maintained and complies with safety codes. If they neglect maintenance or fail to address reported issues, they may be held liable for injuries resulting from an accident.
- Elevator maintenance companies: These companies can also be held accountable if an accident occurs due to improper servicing, faulty repairs, or failure to detect mechanical issues. If a maintenance provider fails to perform necessary inspections or ignores safety concerns, they may share liability.
- Elevator manufacturers: Companies that design and manufacture elevators may be responsible if a defect in the elevator’s design or manufacturing contributed to the accident. If an investigation reveals a mechanical failure due to a design flaw or defective part, the manufacturer can face a product liability claim.
In some cases, third parties such as contractors working on the elevator may share responsibility. Determining liability often requires a thorough investigation and analysis of maintenance records, safety protocols and accident reports. An experienced New York elevator accident attorney can assist victims and their families with this process.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
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. Our law firm helped a client secure $1,750,000 in a case where she suffered an ankle injury requiring surgery when the elevator she was in fell four floors due to negligence (carelessness) on the part of the elevator maintenance company. In addition, we got the workers’ compensation insurance company to pay a $150,000 lump sum for future medical benefits. 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 and/or medical malpractice 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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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://bronx.news12.com/nypd-78-year-old-man-hurt-in-soundview-elevator-shaft-fall