NYC Personal Injury Lawyer » NYC Elevator Accident Lawyer

NYC Elevator Accident Lawyer

We rarely think twice about stepping into one of New York City’s thousands of elevators, getting in on one floor, and stepping back out on another. But should we always take our safety in an elevator for granted? Elevators rely on complex mechanical and electrical systems, and their safe operation requires regular maintenance and properly functioning components.

If you’ve suffered injuries in an elevator accident, you deserve legal representation from an NYC premises liability lawyer who will prioritize getting the full and fair compensation you deserve.

Call the firm at (212) 564-2800.

What Types of Elevator Accidents Happen In NYC?

Most elevator accidents in NYC are attributable to malfunctions or faulty safety systems. The most common types of elevator accidents include the following:

• Becoming caught between the doors, or having a limb trapped
• Clothing trapped in the door as the elevator begins moving between floors, causing entrapment or strangulation
• Tripping when exiting due to the elevator’s misalignment with the floor
• Falls due to excessive elevator speed
• Falls caused by abrupt landings
• Falls due to sudden shifting or tipping
• Electrocutions due to faulty wiring
• Fires
• Heat exhaustion or heat stroke inside a stalled elevator
• Falls down open elevator shafts

Elevator accident injuries occur not only to passengers, but also to workers, including maintenance workers and construction company employees.

Reports from the Consumer Product Safety Commission reveal that an alarming 17,000 people suffer injuries from elevator accidents in the U.S. each year, including worker fatalities. Over a 13-year study, 91 accidental deaths occurred among elevator passengers.

What Types of Injuries Occur In NYC Elevator Accidents?

When an elevator malfunctions, either through a doorway problem or during the trip between floors, serious injuries can occur, including fatalities. Common injuries reported in New York City elevator accident claims include the following:

• Soft-tissue injuries, such as sprains and ligament or tendon injuries to knees, ankles, wrists, and shoulders
• Fractures
• Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
• Traumatic amputations
• Crush or “mangling” injuries to limbs
• Entrapment strangulation
• Neck and back injuries
• Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
• Electrocutions

Experiencing a serious injury from an elevator malfunction or a failed elevator safety mechanism is more than just painful and traumatic; it can also be expensive to treat and disrupt your life temporarily or permanently, depending on the severity of the injury. These losses can leave the victim facing an uncertain future. A successful claim recovers compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, catastrophic injury, or wrongful death.

Proving Liability In an Elevator Accident Claim In NYC

Elevator accident claims to recover an injury victim’s damages are premises liability cases. Before an elevator accident claim can succeed in recovering compensation for the victim, the injury victim must prove the property owner’s negligence and liability. This requires evidence showing that the property owner was aware of the problem, or should reasonably have been aware of it, that they owed a legal duty of care to the injury victim (because the victim was legally present on the property), they violated their duty of care, and the violation directly caused the injury.

Finally, the injury victim must show evidence of economic damages as well as non-economic damages like pain, suffering, and disability — contact a personal injury attorney in NYC today.

How Can an NYC Elevator Accident Lawyer Help Me?

Elevators are vital to New York’s infrastructure, but when a property owner fails to address known hazards or promptly repair malfunctions, the result can be serious injury to an elevator passenger who trusted the property owner to uphold their legal duty of care to maintain safe premises. Still, defendants and their insurers often dispute claims, point fingers at others, or undervalue claims to protect their profits.

Reach out to The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel for experienced legal representation throughout the process to maximize your chances of an ample settlement or court award for your damages.