Infant Dies in Horrific Elevator Accident in Brooklyn

 A 6-week-old baby died from injuries sustained in an elevator accident in a Brooklyn building, which has had a long history of violations. According to a report in the New York Daily News, both the child and her mother plunged eight stories down an elevator shaft, which was apparently undergoing repair. But the building did not post any signs warning residents about it. The mother survived, but the baby died from her injuries. It happened just 90 minutes after work started on the failing elevator in the building, which had a number of code violations and elevator complaints.

The baby was in a stroller and was headed out with her mother the morning of Oct. 13. They walked into the open elevator doors on the 23rd floor. The baby and the stroller fell through the shaft and the mother followed landing on top of the child and the stroller. A repairman pulled the mom from the 15th floor shaft. First responders tried to resuscitate the baby, but did not succeed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to this family that has suffered such a heartbreaking loss.
History of Complaints and Violations
Tenants at the building had complained the night before this accident about the elevator. A mechanic arrived to perform repairs and was working on the elevator when the fatal incident occurred. The incident is under active investigation. The building was the subject of more than 20 complaints about out-of-service elevators since January 2015 through last month, city records show. The high-rise currently has 50 open building code violations including four elevator violations.
The most recent elevator inspection took place in August when a defect was noted. It is not clear what the defect or malfunction was at the time. A complaint on Sept. 25 noted that both of the building’s elevators were not working and a Sept. 30 complaint stated that one of the elevators was out. The building apparently houses a number of seniors and tenants in wheelchairs, one complaint filed Jan. 24 stated, adding that the lack of functioning elevators made it impossible for these individuals to get into or out of their apartments.
Elevator Safety Issues
Elevator accidents that result in serious injuries or fatalities do not occur frequently. The most recently available statistics show that elevators in the nation make about 18 billion passenger trips a year. Those trips result in about 27 deaths annually, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Elevator mechanics and repairmen make up a majority of the victims who are affected by accidents involving elevators. But, there have been a number of incidents in New York City where tenants and guests have been seriously injured or killed as a result of malfunctioning elevators.
Property owners and/or property managers are responsible for ensuring that a building’s elevators are in proper working condition and are safe for guests, tenants and visitors to use. When an elevator accident occurs, the New York City Department of Buildings investigates the incident. Property owners and property managers also have a responsibility to ensure that their elevators are repaired and maintained routinely by qualified, certified professionals. Those companies have to ensure that the repairs are completed properly.
When elevators are in the process of being repaired or maintained, building owners and managing agents have the responsibility to put up warning signs stating that the elevator is under repair so people don’t mistakenly use them, as it happened in this tragic case. There are several parties that can be held liable in elevator accident cases including but not limited to property owners, property managers, building owners, elevator maintenance and repair firms, etc.
Compensation for Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in an elevator accident or if you have lost a loved one in an elevator accident, 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.
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 cases in 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.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/baby-stroller-falls-death-brooklyn-elevator-shaft-article-1.2829339