Studies by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicate there are approximately 17,000 injuries incurred by individuals each year and approximately 30 deaths caused by defective escalators and elevators.
The following types of injuries are most likely to occur on escalators:
- Falls causing 51% of injuries to all age groups
- Entrapment causing 29% of all injury accidents among adults, and 36% of all injury accidents involving children five years old or younger.
- Children in strollers accounted for 6% of injuries, and most occurred due to children falling out of their stroller while riding an escalator.
Most escalator injuries involved legs among adults, while hand or fingertip injuries were more likely with children.
According to the standards established by the CPSC in the mid-1990s, escalators are supposed to have foot prints, or brightly-colored borders painted on each step to show the public the safest area for their feet; however, in most cases, consumers will not find escalators in compliance with this standard.
While elevator accidents are somewhat uncommon events, when they do occur, the injuries suffered can be serious or result in death.
Accident and safety studies related to elevators indicate injuries result due to the following:
- Poor maintenance
- Defects in design
- Hazardous wiring
- Malfunction of pulleys
- Malfunction of electronic eye
When an elevator is improperly maintained the following malfunctions often occur and cause serious or fatal injuries:
- Doors opening before an elevator is actually available and causing a person to fall down the elevator shaft
- Doors closing on an individual
- Failure of an elevator to level itself properly and even with the floor causing a person to trip and fall
- Entrapment inside an elevator that fails to open properly
- Cable failure causing an elevator to fall down the shaft causing serious injuries and/or deaths
If you or a loved one suffered injuries or death due to a defective escalator or elevator, you need to contact Neufeld, Kleinberg & Pinkiert, PA in Hallandale. Our premise liability lawyers offer a free initial consultation. We will fight for your right to receive fair and just compensation for your injuries or loss.
