Seven shoppers were injured, two seriously, in an escalator accident in a Brooklyn mall when a stationary escalator suddenly started up causing people to tumble down to the floor. According to news reports, the accident occurred at the Atlantic Terminal Mall. The stationary escalator moved suddenly causing one person to fall, setting off a chain reaction down the line. One of the shoppers told WNBC that the escalator malfunctioned “like if you had a roll of toilet paper and you yank it. That’s the motion the escalator made catapulting them right on top of one another.”
Another person at the scene said one of those injured was an elderly woman. Two people were transported to an area hospital in serious, but stable condition. They are expected to survive. Five others were transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries including scratches and bruises. The escalator was taken out of service. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
Escalator Accident Statistics
Escalator accidents have the potential to cause severe trauma. According to a 2013 study published in the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, about 10,000 escalator-related injuries occur per year in the United States that require emergency department treatment. Researchers looked at U.S. escalator accidents over an 11-year period and made several observations.
The majority of injuries in women were to the lower extremities while most accidents involving men resulted in injuries to the head and neck. Nearly half of the patients who were injured required hospital admission. Of those 45 percent left the hospital within a day of admission and 55 percent stayed longer. Common types of injuries related to escalator accidents include getting caught in the handrail, clothing or shoes getting caught in the escalator teeth, getting caught in between steps, slip-and-falls, and trip-and-falls.
Why Do Escalator Accidents Occur?
Here are some of the most common causes of escalator accidents:
• Sudden starts and stops: Escalators are designed to operate smoothly and are not supposed to stop or start abruptly. However, this may happen if the elevator is not programmed properly or if it malfunctions. In such cases passengers may fall resulting in serious injuries or even fatalities.
• Missing teeth: When passengers step off at the top landing of an escalator that has a defective comb plate (with missing teeth), it may prove dangerous. Elevators are designed with a series of cleats in the shape of teeth to prevent any object on the rider’s person from being caught.
• Protruding screws: When your clothing gets caught in screws or other parts that protrude from the escalator’s sides, you may fall and suffer severe injuries including brain trauma.
• Poor design: Some escalators are badly designed and have gaps where people’s feet, shoes etc. can get caught. This may result in trip-and-fall accidents.
• Poor maintenance: Laws in New York require property owners and/or property managers to have maintenance and repair work done on their escalators. The law also requires that escalators be periodically inspected. Poor maintenance may result in escalator malfunctions and accidents that cause serious injuries.
Premises Liability Issues
Escalator accidents have the potential to cause serious injuries such as head injuries, spinal cord trauma, lacerations, bruises, broken bones and internal organ damage. Many of these injuries may result in long-term or even lifelong disabilities. In some cases, escalator accidents may even result in death. In such cases, the family members of the deceased victim may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault party(s).
When a person is injured in an escalator accident, he or she may be able to file a premises liability lawsuit against parties including, the property owner, property manager or a management company, etc. Injured victims of escalator accidents may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an escalator 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.
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1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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Source: https://www.rt.com/usa/371165-7-people-injured-tumbling-escalator/