We’re Here for Victims of Unsafe Equipment
Elevators and escalators kill about 30 people and seriously injure about 17,000 more each year in the United States, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Elevators are responsible for almost 90% of these deaths and 60% of these injuries.
Whether you were on the job repairing an elevator or escalator, or simply taking one to get to or from your destination, you should be able to travel safely. When this is not the case, the companies or people in charge of the equipment should be held accountable for your injuries.
Causes of Elevator/Escalator Injuries
About half of all these deaths every year happen to people working on or near elevators, including those installing, repairing, and maintaining elevators and those working in or near elevator shafts. Half of those are caused by workers falling into the elevator shaft.
Workers are also caught between moving parts of elevators or escalators, in or on elevators or platforms that collapse, or struck by elevators or counterweights.
People who are just riding an elevator or escalator can get caught between elevator doors or in the escalator belt, and suffer injury due to electrical malfunctions, fires, or parts getting loose and hitting or tripping them.
How These Injuries Can and Should Be Prevented
When it comes to worker-related elevator and escalator injuries, employers should take precautions to ensure their safety, including:
- Make sure workplace protective practices and training are adequate. Electrical circuits and mechanical equipment should be de-energized and locked out when elevators or escalators are out of service or being repaired; a permit-required confined-space program should be established for elevator shafts; fall protection should be provided during work in or near elevator shafts.
- Ensure that workers are qualified for escalator and elevator repair and maintenance.
Having qualified workers and an adequate inspection program can ensure that the people riding the elevator or escalator each day remain safe as well.
Who Is Responsible for These Accidents?
When an elevator or escalator is faulty and causes injury, it may be considered a product liability case. Product liability is the legal liability a manufacturer has for producing or selling a faulty product. If the product breaks due to improper or inadequate maintenance, the property owner may be responsible in a premises liability case.
Multiple parties could be at fault for the malfunction, including the original manufacturer, the installation company, the maintenance company, or the company that owns or runs the building in which the equipment is located. All of these organizations play a role in protecting patrons from serious injuries, and when one of them is negligent, they can be held liable in a court of law.
Work with an Experienced Dallas Personal Injury Attorney
No one deserves to be seriously injured while trying to get to work or school, while at a shopping mall or restaurant, or while on the job.
When these companies fail to provide for your safety, you deserve to be compensated for their negligence. The attorneys at Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP are skilled in both trial and negotiation, and will work to ensure you get the compensation you need. If you’d like to speak with a Dallas premises liability lawyer, give us a call at (214) 231-0555 for an initial evaluation at no cost.
