Elevator accidents are more common than we think. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, incidents involving elevators and escalators kill about 30 and seriously injure about 17,000 Americans each year. Injuries to people working on or near elevators account for nearly half of these annual elevator-related deaths.
Case in point is the death of a construction worker who died after falling from the fifth floor of an elevator shaft in Sunnyside, New York. While not all elevator-related deaths are avoidable, most may be if the workers and their employers follow certain safety guidelines.
The Facts
A 45-year-old construction worker, who was working at the six-story building located at 45-45 2nd Street, was pronounced dead after falling off the fifth floor elevator shaft. The building is reportedly under construction to become a new school. Although the worker was wearing a safety harness, he failed to connect the harness to a lifeline when he fell from a platform inside of the elevator shaft to the basement.
A second worker, who was installing new elevators in the same building during the time of incident, was hurt when he fell from the second floor to the first. This second worker was wearing a safety harness and it was secured to a lifeline.
Elevator Accidents: The Need For Experienced Legal Help
If you or a loved one is injured in an elevator accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. However, in order to ensure that you get the full extent of the money damages that you deserve, you need to consult an experienced attorney.
The area of elevator accident law is complex because there are detailed and voluminous elevator laws and codes that govern the installation, inspection and maintenance of elevators throughout the country. In fact, New York has enacted its own set of specialized local laws that govern the installation, maintenance and inspection of elevators. In order to determine whether a violation has occurred and whether you are entitled to compensation, you need to hire an attorney who has special training and knowledge of the application of these laws.
Call an Experienced New York Elevator Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an elevator accident, you should call the experienced New York elevator accident attorneys at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. at 1-800-529-9997. We will fight for your rights and help you get the full extent of the compensation that you deserve.
