Two People Injured After Falling Through Open Elevator Shaft At Target Store
BRONX, NEW YORK (January 1, 2022) – Two people were injured after they fell through an open elevator shaft at a Bronx Store, according to New York City police officers.
New York City officers are saying that the accident took place around 11:15 a.m. on Thursday. A store employee was escorting a teenager out of the Target store when there was some type of altercation.
During the scuffle, both the employee and the teenager fell down an open elevator shaft. Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the accident in order to help the victims.
Both people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The target employee was unconscious when he was eventually extricated from the elevator shaft.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Bronx Elevator Shaft Accidents
Falls are one of the leading causes of serious injury and death in the workplace. In fact, falls rank #1 out of the four hazards dubbed the “fatal four” by OSHA. Falls can happen in a variety of different settings under many different circumstances. Open elevator shafts can be especially hazardous. Very often people aren’t even able to see that the elevator shaft is unguarded till they are standing right above it. There are a number of steps that can be taken to protect people from elevator falls.
- Guardrails and curtains should be installed at every entrance to an open elevator shaft.
- All guardrails must be compliant with OSHA safety standards.
- Workers should be properly trained about the hazards they can come across during the course of their work.
- When workers must work 6-feet or higher above another platform they should be given personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).
Building owners in New York have a legal responsibility to maintain their properties in a reasonably safe condition. This must be done for the protection of everyone on a property whose presence is reasonably foreseeable. An open unguarded elevator shaft could very well be considered an unsafe condition. Victims of elevator fall accidents tend to suffer serious and costly injuries including:
- Broken bones
- Head injuries
- Lacerations
- Spinal cord injuries
Many accident victims may not realize the full extent of their injuries for several weeks or months after any accident. Any person that is injured due to a dangerous condition at a store like Target may have legal recourse through a premises liability claim. A New York personal injury attorney can examine all of the unique facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating A Bronx Elevator Shaft Accident
We at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. extend our best wishes to the two people injured in this Target accident. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to prevent other accidents like this.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in an accident at Target? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of consumer safety advocates are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. You can reach out to us anytime at 800-529-9997.
