ESCALATOR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS

IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE SUFFERED INJURIES OR DIED FROM AN ESCALATOR ACCIDENT, YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION.

ESCALATOR ACCIDENT LAWSUIT CLAIMS

According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), incidents involving elevators and escalators result in approximately 30 deaths and about 17,000 serious injuries in the U.S. annually. According to the Construction E-Library on occupational safety and health, injuries from elevators and escalators are not expected. Despite regulations and safety procedures, there are still annual injuries on elevators and escalators. Elevator injuries are the most prevalent, with about 10,200 injuries related to elevator accidents occurring yearly.

Interestingly, there are more deaths and injuries caused by elevator accidents compared to those caused by escalator accidents. While injuries from elevators are not as prevalent, they can be pretty severe. Available statistics indicate that injuries and deaths related to elevators and escalators are relatively uncommon.

Nearly half of the deaths from escalators and elevators were related to their installation, repair, or maintenance. Injuries of persons working in or around elevators–including persons installing, repairing, and maintaining elevators, as well as persons working in or around elevator shafts–accounted for 14 deaths (almost half). The most frequent death related to elevators is caused by someone falling into an elevator shaft.

Of those numbers, nearly 90% are caused by elevators, while 60% are caused by falls. Elevators are far more dangerous than escalators, and they cause almost 90 percent of deaths and 60 % of significant injuries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that each year, accidents involving elevators and escalators cause about 30 fatalities and 17,000 injuries.

About 30 fatal accidents involving elevators and escalators occur in the United States each year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, according to data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 17,000 Americans are seriously injured every year as a result of accidents caused by elevators and escalators. In its 1992-2003 study on escalator deaths, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported 24 deaths involving passengers on non-work-related escalators across the United States, for an average of approximately two deaths each year. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), elevator and escalator accidents result in about 30 deaths and 17,000 injuries annually across the country.

The New York City Buildings Department documented 109 injuries and one death of children from elevator and escalator accidents over the past ten years. A legal treatise called Elevator and Escalator Accident Litigation and Reconstruction, Third Edition determined more than 1,000 escalator accidents with children younger than four occurred yearly.

The North Carolina Department of Labor states that at least 90% of all escalator accident injuries are children or older adults. In addition, at least 75 percent of escalators incidents involved falls, according to research commissioned by the Construction Research and Training Center.

The latest data from the BLS shows lift and escalator injuries caused at least 17,000 severe injuries, with about 30 deaths. In addition, the incidence of injuries is 15 times higher in escalators than in elevators. According to the CPSC’s data, the incidence of injuries in elevators is higher for workers than for passengers, and escalator injuries are higher for passengers than workers.

In the United States (USA), approximately 10,000 escalator-related injuries requiring emergency department (E.D.) treatment are reported annually. The first report of escalator-related injuries in Europe appeared in London in 1969. Twenty years later, ten patients per month sought medical attention due to escalator accidents. In another study of escalator-related injuries, more than half occurred in public transport facilities and about 33% in shopping malls.

Recently, there has been an increase in escalator-related accidents. Despite this increase in accidents and the possible severity of resulting injuries, only a few statistics on escalator-related injuries have been published worldwide, mainly studies on children and case reports. Despite this increase in the number of escalator-related injuries have been reported. There has been a recent increase in escalator-related injuries; more than half occurred in public transport facilities and about 33% in shopping malls.

There has been an increase in escalator-related accidents. Despite this increase in accidents and the possible severity of resulting injuries, only a few statistics on escalator-related injuries. Despite this increase in accidents and the potential seriousness of escalator-related injuries, In the United States (U.S.), about 10,000 escalator-related injuries requiring emergency department (E.D.) treatment are reported annually. The first reports of escalator-related injuries in Europe appeared in London in 1969. Twenty years later, ten patients per month sought medical attention due to escalator accidents. In another study on escalator-related injuries, more than half happened in public transportation facilities and about 33 % in shopping malls.1 There has recently been an increase in escalator-related accidents.

Despite this increase in accidents and the possible severity of the resulting injuries, only a few statistics on escalator-related injuries have been published worldwide, including most studies on children and case reports. The results of these studies indicate a small percentage were fatal. A survey of all hospitals in the U.S. found the number of accidents that cause injuries to be approximately 0.221 accidents for each installed escalator and 0.015 accidents for each elevator annually. These injuries are related to escalator design. In our study, nearly half the patients required admission to a hospital, with 55% staying longer than 24 hours.

Therefore, we analyzed escalator incident statistics during hospitalizations at our Swiss hospitals from 2000. There are a few reported cases where individuals suffered injuries and even deaths due to the defects or malfunctions of the escalators. Causes of death and injuries related to elevators and escalators are numerous, from falls (down a joist), being caught between, struck, collapsing, etc. As noted earlier, deaths frequently occur as individuals fall off the escalators.

Slip-and-fall accidents can happen on elevators and escalators. While these machines are designed to conserve time and energy, the fact is, if these are not maintained correctly, any person can get hurt. While older and younger people are at the most significant risk during an escalator trip, anyone of any age could be injured in these devices. Although anyone could suffer a serious injury from a hazardous escalator, children and elderly people are particularly susceptible to escalator accidents. Riders of all ages may sustain injuries as a result of the aforementioned conditions, although children and elderly people are particularly vulnerable to escalator injuries.

Approximately 6000 injuries are caused annually by escalator entrapment and other causes. The CPSC estimates that fall accounts for 75% of the 6000 annual injuries on U.S. escalators, while entrapment accounts for 20%, with different reasons at the root of the remaining 5%. Sources estimate 2,200 personal injury lawsuits are filed annually across the country related to elevators or escalators. Elevator accidents result in approximately 27 deaths and about 10,200 injuries every year.

Several cases of multiple injuries have been caused by sudden acceleration or changed the direction. For example, an elevator accident injury can result from trips where a vehicle and the floor are misaligned, being struck by closed elevator doors, falling down the elevator shaft, or being crushed between a car and an upper or lower level. Often, height differences will be subtle, and the occupant does not notice the elevator is not entirely flat against the hallway floor, leading to a trip and fall that can result in severe injuries.