| According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | | | | liable, he/she can go to court. He/she may hire an |
| and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, | | | | elevator accident lawyer to help him/her confront |
| elevators and escalators kill about 30 persons and | | | | with the issues of going to litigation. |
| seriously injure about 17,000 people each year. | | | | Elevator accident lawsuits can involve different |
| Elevators cause almost 90% of the deaths and | | | | areas of law. For an instance, when an elevator |
| 60% of the injuries. Almost half of the annual | | | | malfunctions due to defect of manufacture, liability |
| deaths are accounted to elevator service | | | | would be determined under product liability law. |
| personnel working with installing, repairing, and | | | | When an accident happens due to the negligence |
| maintaining elevators. | | | | of the establishment owner who failed to provide |
| Elevator accidents may be the result of several | | | | reasonable care, liability would be determined |
| malfunctions / or improper maintenance. What | | | | under premise liability law. |
| commonly causes these elevator accidents are: | | | | Liability for elevator accidents varies depending on |
| • Mechanical breakdown or faulty pulley | | | | the particularities of the accident per se. There |
| system which allows the elevator to fall loose | | | | are different parties that could be held legally |
| down the elevator car passage | | | | responsible in court. The proprietor or landowner |
| • Uncovered elevator shafts which causes falls | | | | may be held liable if he/she acted with negligence. |
| • Elevator’s system with faulty wiring may | | | | Manufacturers could also be held liable if the |
| cause accidental electrocution | | | | accident was due to their defective mechanism. |
| • Improper elevator controller wiring | | | | Elevator claims require an understanding of how |
| • Elevator repair and maintenance was | | | | the components of elevators interrelate, such as |
| performed by an unqualified and untrained | | | | the elevator cab, the cables, the design, the |
| personnel | | | | electrical system, the brakes, the controller and |
| • Unbalanced leveling which results to failure of | | | | sensors, and the safety stops. Knowledge of |
| elevator to line up as it should with the floor | | | | what went wrong with the elevator will help |
| Being involved in an elevator accident could entail | | | | determine what party is liable and what grounds a |
| severe and painful injuries. Some of them are so | | | | victim shall sue. |
| severe that they cause permanent damage, and | | | | With respect to these issues, it is highly advised |
| even lost of life. These include: | | | | that elevator accident victims hire their respective |
| • Amputations | | | | lawyers in order to understand the proper steps |
| • Back and neck injuries | | | | to perform in pursuing a case against the |
| • Broken bones | | | | responsible parties. Elevator accident lawyers who |
| • Head injury | | | | are skilled in handling this particular legal concern |
| • Paralysis | | | | will make sure that their sustained injuries and |
| Many of the elevator-related deaths and injuries | | | | damages will be properly compensated. |
| could have been prevented if adequate | | | | Though riding an elevator can be such a simple |
| maintenance and inspection procedures had been | | | | task, unexpected circumstances can still happen |
| practiced in the involved buildings. If this is the | | | | within its confined space. So in order for elevator |
| case, there will be no grounds for a victim to file | | | | passengers to avoid being a victim of an accident, |
| for a lawsuit. | | | | they must take safety precautions on their own. |
| Otherwise, if a victim can prove that a party is | | | | |