In a city like New York, taking an elevator is a way of life. Millions of New Yorkers use elevators every day to get to and from their homes and jobs. Riding in an elevator is so common that most of us take for granted that the ride will be a safe (and fast) experience.
Unfortunately, despite local laws requiring building owners to regularly inspect their elevators and to maintain them in good working order, elevators still malfunction and cause injury to innocent passengers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, incidents involving elevators and escalators kill almost 30 and injure over 17,000 people each year. Many such incidents occur due to mislevelings or when the doors close unexpectedly, not giving passengers a chance to get in or out of the elevator safely. Still others happen when the elevator door opens with no cab on the other side, causing unsuspecting passengers to fall down the shaft and sustain catastrophic, often fatal, injuries.
If you’ve been injured in an elevator, the experienced attorneys at Kramer, Dunleavy & Ratchik, PLLC can help. We’ve successfully handled many elevator cases and work with respected elevator experts to identify the cause of an incident and the responsible parties.