A worker was injured after an elevator car suddenly dropped to the bottom of the shaft. According to a WABC news report, the incident was reported at a building at 139 West 35th Street the afternoon of Sept. 26. Officials with the New York City Department of Buildings said mechanics were contracted to move a heavy safe from an upper floor through the elevator.
At the first floor of the building a mechanic attempted to push the safe out to the lobby, when the elevator started to drop back into the basement. This caused the safe to tip back into the car and land on the mechanic. Firefighters were called to the scene to remove the worker who was then rushed to the hospital. A cease and desist order on the elevator was issued as the investigation continues.
Elevator Accidents Involving Workers
Elevator accidents kill about 30 and seriously injure about 17,000 people each year in the United States, according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Elevators cause almost 90% of the fatalities and 60% of serious injuries. Injuries to people working on or near elevators, including those installing, repairing, and maintaining elevators, and working in or near elevator shafts, account for nearly half of the annual deaths.
Also, about 50% of the deaths of workers working in or near elevator shafts were due to falls into the shaft. Incidents where workers were caught in/between moving parts of elevators and escalators, were in or on elevators or platforms that collapsed, or were struck by elevators or counterweights are also substantial. It is important that workers have adequate job and safety training as well as fall protection when they work in or near elevator shafts.
What Causes Elevators to Malfunction?
When elevators malfunction, they can cause serious injuries, not only to passengers who are in the elevator car, but also workers and mechanics who are working in or near the elevators. Here are some of the common types of elevator malfunctions that occur in New York City:
Drops: When elevators drop down they can crush someone who is underneath, working, or cause serious injuries to passengers who are in the elevator car. These types of incidents often result in blunt force trauma.
Sudden stops: Elevators can come to sudden or abrupt stops due to power failures or from poor maintenance. When the elevator reaches each floor, it should come to a slow and gradual stop. When an elevator is programmed incorrectly or is malfunctioning, passengers may fall and suffer injuries.
Issues with the door: When the doors fail to open at a stop, it can trap passengers. On the other hand, when doors open at a time they are not supposed to open, passengers may fall and suffer serious injuries or get crushed.
Issues with the level: When the doors of the elevator open, the floor of the elevator car should be level with the floor of the building. If they are not, then it poses a trip- or slip-and-fall hazard.
Poor maintenance: An elevator is a complex machine that requires regular maintenance to make sure all parts are functioning properly. If a property manager, landlord or technician fails to perform the necessary maintenance and repairs, there is a higher risk of an accident and serious injuries.
If You Have Been Injured
Workers who are injured in elevator shaft accidents are at risk of suffering serious or even catastrophic injuries. Their injuries might prevent them from returning to work for an extended period of time or they might even lose their livelihood if the incident results in catastrophic injuries or disabilities. Injured victims can seek workers’ compensation benefits, which cover medical expenses and a portion of lost wages. In addition, workers may also be able to file a third-party claim against a negligent (careless) party other than the employer or co-employees for significant monetary damages and have two sources of compensation available for their losses. Examples of third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, construction companies, sub-contractors, building owners, managing agents etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an elevator or escalator accident or suffered injuries as a result of negligence (carelessness) on the part of property owners and/or property managers 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 and 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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Source: https://abc7ny.com/elevator-fall-mechanic-injured-midtown-fdny/6596300/