April 1, 2021
Elevators are an inseparable part of their day to day lives for most people in Sacramento and all across the country. Many apartment complexes, commercial buildings and shopping malls have elevators. Millions of people in the country use the elevators daily and they are relatively safe.
However, like any mechanical or electronic device elevators can lead to serious injuries. –According to the CDC, each year elevator accidents cause around 17,000 injuries and 30 deaths.
The irresponsible behaviour of the property owners or building owners or elevator manufacturers can lead to injuries resulting in death at times.
If you or your family member was injured in an elevator accident, it is advisable to consult a professional elevator injury lawyer in Sacramento. There are several reasons which cause elevator accidents and injuries. Some of the most common elevator accident injuries and causes are:
Common Causes of Elevator Accidents
- Fall into the elevator shafts
- Getting caught between or struck between the doors due to malfunctioning doors
- Unbalanced levelling of the elevator car with the floor resulting in tripping accidents while entering or exiting the elevator
- Electrocution
- Collision of passengers because of sudden movement when the elevator stops
- Free-falls
Common Elevator Accident Injuries
Elevator injuries can be minor to life-threatening, they are completely dependent on what is the problem with the elevator. An instance of door malfunction can result in clothing or a body part getting crushed or stuck between the doors.
There can be some serious safety issues with elevators that could lead to a car dropping accident causing serious injuries or even death. Some of the types of injuries that can be sustained in an elevator accident are:
- Body parts like arms, hands or legs getting crushed between elevator doors when they shut unexpectedly
- Injury to the head, neck or spine due to sudden elevator stops or jolts
- Paralysis due to back or spine injuries resulting from overcrowding accidents in an elevator;
- Fractures and broken bones as a result of slip and fall accidents while entering and exiting an elevator car which in unleveled
- Burn injuries from electrocution or short circuits
Liability in Elevator Injury cases
Elevator accidents come under the premises liability law. To establish that a party was negligent and hence responsible for the injury caused in an Elevator accident, you need to establish the following:
- The property owner or building owner or a responsible party owed a duty of reasonable care
- This duty of care was breached by the responsible party due to their careless action or inaction
- The breach of duty caused an injury
- The injuries resulted in damages and losses
In most cases, the property owners or building owners have a legal responsibility to ensure that the elevators on their premises are in operating condition and safe to use. They are expected to conduct regular inspections and in case any issue or problem is detected during the inspection, the owners have to call a licensed contractor to perform the required maintenance.
Other than the owners there can be other parties that can be held liable for elevator accidents.
- Repair and maintenance agencies and contractors can be held liable if the accident or injury caused was due to shortcomings or inadequacies in the maintenance performed.
- Inspection companies can be held liable if an elevator approved by them for use is defective or is not fit for use that caused the accident.
- In case of any defect or malfunction in the elevator mechanisms or equipment, the elevator manufacturers or parts manufacturers can be held responsible for the injury.
How a personal injury lawyer can help?
As a victim of an elevator accident, you may be seriously injured and be suffering from physical and mental stress. The unfortunate accident may have impacted your ability to work or carry out your responsibilities as before.
An experienced personal injury lawyer who has special expertise in handling elevator accident cases can help you determine the party responsible for the accident. They can represent you and fight for you to receive fair compensation for your losses.
An experienced elevator accident lawyer will start gathering evidence and going through records to determine the liable party. Evidence and reports like:
- The CCTV surveillance footage related to the accident. Before it, during and after the accident
- The accident or incident reports filed
- Elevator Safety and security logs
- Personnel records for persons who repaired, maintained or inspected the equipment or device
- Records of service, installation and repairs contracts
An experienced Sacramento elevator accidents lawyer can handle the transactions and communications with the insurance companies allowing the victim and family to focus on the recovery. Khashan Law Firm has the required experience to represent you in an elevator accident case and help you recover compensation for your injuries.
Over the years, we have witnessed how difficult it is for victims to recover their damages for the injuries they sustained. Most times the victims or their families are forced to accept low settlements as they are not aware of the law and do not have any guidance.
We at Khashan law have handled and won several elevator accident cases for our clients. We ensure that our clients receive their due compensation for their losses and damages. Contact us for a free, confidential consultation.