Escalators are a part of life for most residents of New York City. We ride on escalators at almost every major subway station, department store, convention center, and even office buildings. For the most part, escalators work as intended, and your ride passes without incident. However, sometimes escalators are not kept in good repair and experience issues that may cause injury to passengers.
Recently, an escalator accident at well-known Stuyvesant High School caused injury to 10 students. Most of the injuries were minor, but one student’s toe was partially amputated by the escalator. This type of accident should never happen, especially in a school.
If you have been injured in an escalator accident, please call an experienced escalator accident attorney to schedule your complimentary consultation.
Common Escalator Accidents
The most common escalator accidents include:
- Falling after an abrupt stop or start
- Getting a piece of clothing or body part stuck
- Falling on a slippery surface
- Other injury due to faulty maintenance, operator error, or poor design
Falls are by far the most common type of accident to occur on an escalator. Falls are often caused by an escalator stopping or starting abruptly, causing the people riding to lose their balance. In addition, spills are a danger on highly trafficked escalators. If the elevator steps become slippery due to a spill that wasn’t cleaned up in time, a person could easily incur a slip and fall injury.
It can also be easy for footwear or clothes to become stuck in an escalator if the gap between the steps and the rail is too big, or if there is a gap at the top or bottom of the escalator. Poor maintenance can also cause issues, as in the case of a 70 year old man who was riding an escalator at an AMC on the Upper West Side earlier this year when his foot got caught in between steps.
Who Is Liable in an Escalator Accident?
Liability in an escalator accident can vary depending on the cause of the accident. Liable parties could potentially include:
- The property owner or manager: Property owners have a duty to keep their properties safe for visitors. If the escalator which caused your injury was in poor repair due to neglect on the property owner’s part, they could be held liable.
- The escalator repair company: If maintenance was performed on the escalator but was done hastily or sloppily and led to an injury, the repair company that performed the subpar maintenance could be held liable.
- The escalator manufacturer: If your injuries were caused by poor escalator design, the manufacturer could be held liable.
Your own actions may play a part in liability as well. Escalator injury cases may have several liable parties, so the best way to determine liability and see if you have a strong escalator injury case is to call personal injury lawyer Reid B. Wissner as soon as possible for your complimentary consultation.
Schedule Your NYC Escalator Injury Consultation
If you have been injured in an escalator accident in New York City, call an experienced personal injury lawyer for your complimentary, no-obligation consultation.
