Elevators are present in many multi-level buildings and are used in a variety of settings such as passenger elevators or freight elevators. These are complex pieces of machinery that require a rigorous maintenance schedule. However, when there is inadequate maintenance of the elevator, serious accidents can result. Escalator accidents can occur in a number of ways:
Elevator stops above the floor - this occurs when the elevator stops and the floor of the elevator car is above the level of the destination floor, and leaves debarking passengers vulnerable to falling;
Elevator stops below the floor - this occurs when the elevator stops below the level of the destination floor, and leaves debarking passengers vulnerable to tripping on the lip of the destination floor;
Elevator stops suddenly - abrupt stopping of the elevator car can cause passengers to lose their balance and fall;
Elevator drops suddenly - the rapid descent and then stopping of the elevator car can cause serious injuries; or
Elevator entrapment - the car stops in the middle of the elevator shaft, placing passengers at risk as they await rescue or try to escape the stalled elevator car.
When there is an elevator accident, there are two main entities which might be legally responsible for the resulting injuries. These are:
The owner of the building
The elevator maintenance company
In most states, the owner of a building with an elevator is considered a common carrier which means that they must exercise the utmost degree of care in ensuring the safety of people who use the elevator. However, most often, they hand the maintenance of this complex piece of machinery over to an outside contractor who does the actual day-to-day work. Both the owner and the contractor can be held legally responsible for injuries resulting from an elevator accident.
