Elevators are supposed to be a safe part of everyday life, and, most of the time, they are safe. Unfortunately, though, some elevator owners and technicians fail to take necessary precaution to keep their elevators safe. Given the very nature of elevators, even a simple mistake by an owner or technician can lead to a catastrophic outcome. Poor decision making by an owner or technician is the most common reason users are injured in an elevator accident.
Elevators come in many different types, from electric to hydraulic, from passenger to freight. For each type, there are federal and state regulations and recognized industry standards that dictate how the elevator must be maintained and what sort of records must be kept. These rules must be followed to keep the elevator in a properly functioning, safe state. If the owner or technician responsible for the elevator fails to abide by the federal and state regulations, or industry standards, and injury or death results, their failure to follow the rules can be evidence of negligence. Some of the most common ways North Carolinians are injured in an elevator accident include mis-leveling, safety device failures (including audible alarms), sudden acceleration and deceleration, hoist cable failures, and defective governors.
If a person sustains an injury in a North Carolina elevator accident caused by someone else’s negligence, he or she may be entitled to recover compensation for (1) past and future medical expenses, (2) past and future pain and suffering, (3) past and future lost earnings, (4) permanent injury, and (5) permanent scarring. If the elevator owner or technician was willfully negligent, punitive damages may recovered as a punishment.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an elevator or escalator accident, the attorneys of Maginnis Law may be able to help. Our law firm is experienced in complex personal injury negligence cases. We will help build the team of qualified experts necessary to determine what went wrong and what caused you injuries, including retaining experienced elevator experts and accident reconstruction experts.
Maginnis Howard offers free consultations to all victims of elevator accidents and represents folks across the state of North Carolina in both federal and state court. If we are hired to handle your case, we offer a contingency fee arrangement, meaning you owe no attorneys’ fees unless and until we obtain a settlement or verdict in your behalf. Call our office at (919) 526-0450 or send a confidential message through our contact page.
