Fatal Elevator Accident in New York City

December 23, 2011

The New York City Department of Buildings is investigating the cause of an NYC elevator accident that killed a 41-year-old advertising executive on December 14, 2011. The woman was stepping onto the elevator when it suddenly moved upward, trapping her legs outside and crushing her body.

Elevators, for the most part, are a safe mode of transportation. Therefore, when accidents like the one in New York occur, it is important to figure out what happened and why in order to prevent future accidents. It is also important so that the victim's family can have answers and, with the help of a New York City elevator accident lawyer, recover compensation.

The Department of Buildings has turned its focus to electrical work done only a few hours before the New York City elevator accident by the elevator servicing company, Transel Elevator, Inc. The Department will also inspect other elevators serviced by Transel in New York City. In September, Transel was involved in a separate fatal elevator accident -- one of its employees was killed when he fell down an elevator shaft.

Elevator Accident Statistics

There are approximately 900,000 elevators in the United States, transporting 18 billion passengers each year. Of those passengers, an average of 27 die in elevator accidents and thousands more are injured. While this number may seem low, especially in comparison to the number of people killed in auto accidents, most of these deaths are preventable.

One-half of all elevator accident fatalities are maintenance workers who are killed while working on the elevators, and one-half of those workers are killed from falling down elevator shafts. Similarly, 50 percent of all apartment elevator accidents involve riders falling down elevator shafts, while the remaining 50 percent can usually be attributed to riders being caught between the elevator shaft wall and the elevator (as in the New York City elevator accident).

What caused those accidents is usually not as clear. There are many elevator defects and human-created problems that can cause injury, including:
- Poor elevator maintenance or repairs
- Open shafts
- Elevator door malfunction
- Faulty wiring
- Entrapment caused by fire or water
- Faulty pulley systems
- Mechanical defects which cause the elevator to drop
- Defects in the entry system

Human error has been linked to accidents like last week's New York City elevator accident. In December 2010, a 47-year-old woman was injured in a Brooklyn elevator accident when the elevator she was stepping onto suddenly lurched upwards, dragging her arm and leg up seven stories. A maintenance worker was charged with reckless endangerment and assault for allegedly disabling a safety switch on the elevator.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an elevator accident -- or any accident in New York City -- you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries. Do not hesitate to contact an experienced New York personal injury lawyer near you.

Article provided by Roy S. Hiller
Visit us at www.royhiller.com