New York Injury Lawyer Blawg

The New York Times recently reported on a freight elevator accident that injured several people.

Property owners need to be held accountable if you are injured in an elevator accident in New York. Contact experienced New York personal injury lawyers to discuss your rights and get the compensation you deserve.

Almost two dozen people were injured when a freight elevator being used unlawfully as a passenger elevator plunged more than three stories in a building housing Bed, Bath and Beyond and Yahoo offices. Authorities report as the elevator was ascending, it suddenly dropped several floors. All the passengers in the elevator were taken to the hospital with "whiplash-like injuries." And though no injuries were life-threatening, at least nine of the passengers had serious injuries.

A spokesman for the Department of Buildings said an investigation revealed a defective brake caused the elevator to drop. Violations were issued to the owner of the building for allowing the freight elevator to carry passengers and for not keeping the elevator in good working order.

Records indicate the elevator was inspected six months ago, and the incident marked the first time the elevator was cited in 15 years.

A few weeks ago The New York Times also reported on a group of subway passengers getting trapped in Upper Manhattan.

While heading to street level from the No. 1 train platform at 181st Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue, the elevator stopped and trapped 28 people. This platform happens to be the deepest in the system and is only accessible by elevator. The last thing any of these passengers wanted to do was spend an hour on a Friday evening trapped in an elevator with no air conditioning or ventilation. The fire department had to be called to evacuate the trapped passengers. The 181st Street station happens to be the place where a roof façade collapsed in 2009, disrupting service for weeks.

According to information from the The Center to Protect Workers' Rights, there were 56 non-work related deaths of elevator passengers from 1997 to 2006. New York was the deadliest state with 12 deaths, followed by District of Columbia with five. Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania each had four, while Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota each had three deaths. California, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas each had two deaths, and Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin each had one death. Children 10 or younger were involved in thirteen of the deaths.

Follow these guidelines for elevator safety:

-If the elevator stops in between floors, activate the ALARM button. Never force open the doors or attempt to climb out of the stuck elevator.

-Hold onto children and pets firmly.

-Stay clear of the doors and keep clothing away from the opening.

-Don't stop closing doors with your hands or feet. Press and hold the DOOR OPEN button if doors need to be kept open.

-Never use an elevator if there is a fire. Use the stairs.

Continue reading "Elevators a common cause of injury to New York City users" »

Escalators are a convenient way to get from floor to floor, especially in large buildings located in New York City. In today's hustling and bustling world everyone is looking to save time and energy with the use of escalators. Most of us don't give a second thought to the safety of a moving walkway or escalator.

Our New York personal injury lawyers want to remind you that safe and properly working escalators are the responsibility of the property owner.

Recently DNAinfo reported that three people were injured in an escalator accident at Penn Station. According to witnesses the escalator suddenly stopped, sending riders toppling down. The escalator was filled with riders going into the station from West 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, when it came to an abrupt halt around 1:00 p.m.

An on duty security guard heard screams and saw riders "floating down like a tide on top of each other." He said at least four riders were already on the floor as others fell on top of them. Another witness reported as soon as the escalator stopped all the riders ended up in a pile on the floor. Most of the fallen riders were uninjured and simply got up and walked away. However three riders had injuries requiring a trip to the hospital. A security guard reported that this escalator has had issues in the past, an apparently has stopped before for unknown reasons.

Each year the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates 90 billion riders use escalators. In 2007, there were approximately 11,000 escalator related injuries most of which were the result of falls. However, in about 10 percent of the incidents shoes, feet or hands became trapped in moving parts. In 2006, there were 77 entrapment cases; all but two were from soft-sided shoes like slides or clogs getting caught. A little less than half of the cases caused an injury.

How to reduce escalator injuries:

-Shoes need to be tied.

-Always stand in the middle of the step.

-Do not allow children to play or sit on the escalator steps and always hold their hand.

-Never have a child in walkers, strollers or carts while on the escalator.

-Hold the handrail and always face forward.

-Sides of the steps are where entrapments happen so try to avoid them.

-Know where to find the emergency shutoff buttons, it is essential to stop the escalator as soon as possible if someone gets trapped.

Continue reading "Escalators a common cause of injury at New York City stations and malls" »