Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog
Who isn’t afraid of elevators? Who has ever gotten stuck in an elevator and thought of being trapped or worse yet an elevator going into a free fall? Although elevator accidents may seem like a rare occurrence, they are fairly common. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports an average of 10,200 elevator accidents involving injuries each year, with approximately 30 cases being fatal accidents.
Elevators, while a great convenience, can be lethal. These machines can lose power, get stuck between floors, lose traction, and even go into a free fall or abruptly stop for no reason at all. Each of these hazards can produce significant injuries such as disc injury, broken bones, traumatic brain injury, amputated limbs, and death. After an accident, not only may you be traumatized to ever step into an elevator again, but it can also change the entire course of the rest of your life depending on the severity of the injury sustained.
Recently, we concluded a case involving a client who was injured in a faulty elevator. Plaintiff, a respiratory therapist in a hospital, was victimized by an elevator which lost power and abruptly stopped. This malfunction caused plaintiff a severe injury which required back surgery and substantial future medical care. In addition to the significant medical treatment, the client was also told that he could never work again, which changed his life.
The defense in this case claimed that the sudden stop of the elevator could not cause the injury asserted by the client. The defense also alleged that the elevator was in perfect working order and never gave the maintenance company cause to take it out of service. One month before trial, our team of attorneys were able to settle the client’s case for $1.4 million to ensure he was suitably compensated for the elevator’s company’s negligence.
Manufacturers have an initial responsibility to ensure that these elevators created transport passengers with minimal risk. The entity having custody or control over the elevator should then ensure the machine is properly maintained and inspected to offer optimal safety. They have a duty to closely examine any complaints about the machine’s regular function and routinely ensure that it is safe to ride. To learn more about bringing an action as an injured elevator passenger, click here.
If you or someone you love has been injured by a faulty elevator, call us today for a free consultation! You may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and loss of earning capacity, and loss of enjoyment of life. PHONE CARDONE today at 504-522-3333, 833-597-1818 (toll-free), 225-706-3920 (Baton Rouge office), or email us at c@phonecardone.com.