Worker Killed in Elevator Accident at Restaurant

 A 34-year-old man died from the injuries he suffered in a New Jersey elevator accident, according to a news report in the Asbury Park Press. The fatal incident occurred at Three B’s Bar and Bistro in Lakehurst, New Jersey after the man was caught in the machinery of a small freight elevator. The victim was apparently working with another person to move a delivery of food to the basement of the restaurant using the freight elevator.
The worker had one foot on the ground and one foot on the elevator when the elevator malfunctioned and lowered. A bar at the top of the elevator came down on the worker. Other workers pulled the man out and tried to perform CPR, but he was not conscious when police arrived at the scene. He was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this deceased worker.

Elevator Accident Statistics
According to the most recently available statistics, U.S. elevators 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 elevator accident victims.
A 2009 report in Occupational Health and Safety notes that individuals who install and maintain elevators may become injured in a variety of ways including falls, electrical shocks, muscle strains and getting crushed by the elevator. Falls caused over 25 percent of the deaths of workers installing or repairing elevators. “Caught in between” accidents occur when a victim is caught in the elevator machinery such as counterweights or between two cars or between the elevator shaft or doorway and a car.
Investigation of Elevator Accidents
When an elevator accident occurs, the New York City Department of Buildings investigates the incident. All property owners and/or property managers have a responsibility to ensure that the elevators in their buildings are working properly. Property owners and managers also have a responsibility to ensure that their elevators are repaired and maintained routinely by qualified, certified professionals.
There are number of reasons why elevator accidents occur including mis-leveling and excessive elevator speed. Malfunctioning or defective parts may also cause or contribute to elevator accidents. Elevator malfunctions can cause workers or passengers to fall through shafts or suffer crushing injuries that may kill them. Workers involved in such types of accidents tend to suffer devastating injuries that may prevent them from returning to work soon or from even being able to earn a livelihood again.
Compensation for Victims and Families
There are a number of parties that may be held liable in an elevator accident. When the accident and injuries occur due to lack of elevator maintenance, the property owner and/or property manager may be held liable for the damages caused. If improper maintenance causes or contributed to elevator malfunction and an accident, the company that performed or should have performed the repairs and/or maintenance may also be held liable.
If a worker was injured due to a malfunctioning elevator, he may seek workers’ compensation benefits for medical expenses and a portion of his lost income. An experienced New York City elevator accident lawyer can evaluate each case and its circumstances and help injured victims or families of deceased victims pursue fair compensation for their losses.
Injured victims of elevator accidents can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. In some of these cases, workers or families of deceased workers may be able to file a third-party claim for significant money damages and have two cases for recovering compensation. Examples of such third parties include, but are not limited to, general contractors, sub-contractors, building owners, maintenance companies, property owners and/or property managers etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
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 lawyers 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.app.com/story/news/local/emergencies/2016/08/29/worker-fatally-injured-lakehurst-restaurant/89558648/