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Request A Call HereAlthough the owners of New York’s high rises and apartment buildings are responsible for the proper maintenance of their elevators and escalators, we’ve all seen that mistakes can be made. When property owners do not maintain their elevators and escalators in reasonably safe condition, residents, employees and customers are put at risk of slip or trip and fall accidents.
More than 60,000 elevators. Over 2,200 escalators. As New York City’s population grows, our skyscrapers and high rises do too. While packing more employees & workers into the same number of city blocks is great for business, it can tax maintenance workers and property owners alike.
Injured in an elevator or escalator fall accident in New York? The experienced lawyers at Banville Law have helped many clients injured in premises liability cases receive the compensation they deserve. Our attorneys have the experience, knowledge, and ability to make property owners and those responsible for these accidents pay for their carelessness.
Most escalator and elevator slip and fall accident claims involve a legal theory known as “premises liability.” Property owners have the responsibility of keeping their residences, apartments, shopping malls, and high-rises in “reasonably safe” condition. If they fail to do so, and their negligence results in an accident or injury, they can be held liable in a New York court of law.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that accidents involving defective or faulty elevators and escalators result in approximately 30 deaths each year. Far more are injured, and many of those injured are permanently disabled in the accident. How many? 17,000. Particularly tragic is that most elevator and escalator accidents involve children and our nation’s elders.
As America’s most populous city, New York City is home to a staggering amount of these elevator and escalator-related accidents. Were you one of the 17,000 injured? Was your loved one tragically one of those 30 dead? You deserve justice and our lawyers at Banville Law are prepared to fight for your rights.
The effects of faulty elevator maintenance and escalator-related negligence can take many forms. From our experience, we see the following common causes of these accidents:
If the mechanisms controlling an elevator are not precisely calibrated, serious accidents can occur. When an elevator car does not properly meet a floor level, unsuspecting riders can trip and fall as they exit the elevator.
After a thorough mopping, elevator floors can be wet, slippery, and dangerous. If property owners do not warn elevator riders properly of these dangers, they can be held liable in a personal injury lawsuit. Victims can secure compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
A particular danger confronting young escalator riders are accidents involving articles of clothing, like shoelaces or pant bottoms, caught between the steps of an escalator. A recently published legal study suggests that over 1,000 children younger than five are injured in escalator accidents involving caught clothing each year.
City of New York law requires regular inspections of all elevators and escalators in the city. Yet elevator and escalator-related accidents continue to occur with troubling regularity. The legal system, led by experienced injury lawyers, are left to hold property owners responsible for their actions.
Were you hurt due to a property owner’s negligence concerning an escalator or elevator? Contact Banville Law. We serve individuals throughout the state of New York. In a free consultation, our attorneys will evaluate your elevator or escalator injury case quickly, and explain your legal options in clear, everyday language. If we can help you, our attorneys will protect your rights in the most efficient manner possible, while maintaining our hallmark aggressive advocacy.
Continue reading: Can I Sue A New York Health Club, Spa, or Gym For Fall On Premises?