Serious Child Injuries Caused by Swing-Door Elevators

An article published in The Modesto Bee talks about the danger of swing-door elevators, particularly for young children. The article gives the example of 3-year-old Jacob Helvey who got trapped after the outer door of the elevator, also known as the swing door, closed and latched. Jacob was then dragged upward. The car stopped within a few feet, but when it went back down, the boy was pushed feet-first into the shaft and pinned at the chest and neck. Although he survived, Jacob, who is now 6, is severely brain damaged, unable to speak and quadriplegic.

Catastrophic Accidents are Preventable
The report sheds light on the fact that Jacob was not the victim of a freak elevator accident. It stemmed from a largely preventable hazard that the elevator industry has known for generations. The potentially deadly threat to children in the form of swing-door elevators exists in spite of fixes that have been available for a long time now.
At least seven children have lost their lives in such elevator accidents since 1995. Evidence presented in a lawsuit against the Otis Elevator company stemming from the 2001 death of a young boy revealed the names of 34 children who had been catastrophically injured or killed from 1983 to 1993 just in southern New York and New Jersey. The Helvey case spurred a government investigation into home elevators. Although there are options to equip swing-door elevators with infrared sensors and other safety options, the industry norm continues with a dangerous design where the inner door poses a risk of entrapment.
Compensation for Victims and Families
In such cases, depending on the circumstances of the incident, different parties could be held liable for the incident. If the elevator accident was caused by poor elevator design or a manufacturing defect, then the manufacturer can be held liable. If the accident occurred due to poor maintenance or lack of maintenance, the property owner or manager or elevator maintenance company could be held liable. In the case of these swing-door elevators, it seems that a change in state or federal safety mandates is warranted to prevent future tragedies.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a New York elevator accident, please contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights. 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.
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Source: Modesto Bee