An elevator malfunction can be a terrifying ordeal and result in severe injuries to passengers on or near the elevator when an accident occurs.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury in an elevator due to another person’s negligence, you may be able to file a claim for compensation for your losses. The elevator injury lawyers at Van Law Firm can review your case and help you determine your next legal steps.
Elevators Present Numerous Risks to Passenger Health and Safety
Elevators are complex mechanisms that must be able to bear passengers and items safely, sometimes hundreds of feet into the air. They are critical infrastructure for casinos, hotels, apartments, condos, retail facilities, warehouses, and office buildings.
Because they must be relied upon to safely and consistently transport many individuals over a long period of time, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published stringent guidelines for elevator design, engineering, construction, maintenance, and use. They require regular inspections and periodic maintenance to ensure that elevators are always in good operating condition.
Failure to adhere to construction, maintenance, and operational guidelines can result in severe injury and even death. However, even elevators meeting safety requirements can be dangerous. In fact, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently reported a recall of about 31,000 residential elevators due to the risks those elevators posed to young children.
For a free legal consultation with a elevator injury lawyer serving Nationwide, call (725) 900-9000
Elevator Accidents Can Occur at Any Time
While fatal elevator accidents are relatively rare, elevator injuries are more frequent and can be life-altering. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that approximately 17,000 people are injured in elevators and escalators in the U.S. annually, and approximately 30 such accidents result in fatalities. Elevators are responsible for 60% of those injuries and about 90% of the deaths caused by elevators and escalators.
Nearly half of the individual people killed in elevator accidents are technicians conducting maintenance, repairs, or installation in or near elevator shafts. Elevator accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries include:
- Falling into the elevator shaft
- Being caught in or between elevator parts
- Being caught under collapsed elevators or platforms
- Being struck by elevators or counterweights
If you suffered an injury in an elevator accident due to someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions, you may be able to file a claim for the losses you sustained.
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Injuries You Could Sustain in an Elevator Accident
Between the height of elevator shafts and the weight of elevator equipment, the injuries you could sustain in an elevator accident can be life-altering. Such injuries may include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Broken bones
- Crushed limbs
- Internal injury
- Loss of limb or amputation
- Spinal injury and paralysis
Victims of elevator injuries may experience chronic pain and reduced mobility. In some cases, you may be unable to work or participate in activities you once enjoyed. The disability and lifestyle changes associated with catastrophic elevator accident injuries can also cause significant psychological injury, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.
If you or someone you love was injured in an elevator accident, you should not have to face these difficulties on your own. The compassionate elevator injury lawyers at Van Law can help you seek the compensation you deserve for your losses.
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Damages You Can Claim After an Elevator Accident Injury
When you are injured in an elevator accident, you may face significant challenges, physically, psychologically, and financially. If your injury was due to someone’s negligent or wrongful actions, you should not have to pay for their mistakes. Van Law Firm’s personal injury lawyers will help you seek the compensation you deserve for your injuries, either through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
We will actively seek compensation for all the losses associated with your injuries, including:
- Hospital bills
- Surgery expenses
- Physical therapy
- Prosthetics and assistive devices
- Long-term and in-home medical care
- Psychological therapy
- Lost income and reduced income potential
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of limb(s)
- Loss of companionship
Wrongful Death Due to an Elevator Accident
If you lost a loved one in an elevator accident, you are not alone. The compassionate wrongful death attorneys at Van Law Firm can pursue a wrongful death claim against the responsible parties. We will fight for justice and compensation for the loss of your loved one.
Although we understand that financial compensation will not fill the void created by the loss of your loved one, we hope it will help to provide you with financial stability during this difficult time. Damages we can seek in a wrongful death claim include funeral and burial expenses, lost income, loss of companionship, and pain and suffering.
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Determining Who is at Fault in an Elevator Accident Claim
Elevators are complex machines, and even the smallest miscalculation or oversight can result in catastrophic injury. Negligent property owners, inattentive maintenance companies, and even elevator designers can be held accountable for injuries caused by elevator accidents.
Our attorneys will examine the evidence in your case to establish who was at fault for your elevator injury. Such evidence may include:
- Photos and videos of the accident scene
- Witness statements
- Expert testimony
- Installation and maintenance records
- Elevator and building specifications
- Federal, state, and local regulations for elevators
Using this information, we will file an insurance claim against the at-fault party or parties for the injuries and losses you sustained. If we can’t reach a settlement agreement out of court, we will actively pursue your case in a court of law.
Our Elevator Accident Lawyers Will Protect Your Right to Fair Compensation
At Van Law Firm, we understand the debilitating effects a catastrophic elevator injury has on you and your loved ones. We provide our clients with personalized legal guidance, so you can seek the compensation you deserve. We offer free consultations to help you decide how best to proceed with your legal claim. If we take your case, we will do so on a contingency basis, so you don’t have to worry about paying legal fees or costs unless and until we win your case.
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