Three people sustained injuries in Towson when an elevator in the Baltimore Circuit Court building fell almost two feet between the first and ground floors.
Firefighters were able to manually open the door to rescue its passengers. One of the passengers, a man, was transported to Sinai Hospital as a precautionary measure. Two boys sustained minor injuries. All three injury victims involved in the elevator accident were at the courthouse to attend a wedding.
The Maryland Labor and Industry Commission says the state last inspected the elevator in January 2007 and only minor problems were found. The company in charge of maintaining the elevator, Otis Elevator, last inspected the elevator in July 2007.
Elevator Accidents
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there were 68 fatalities involving elevator accidents between 1992 and 2003. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 9,800 elevator injuries in 1994 involving victims be sent to hospitals.
Common Elevator Accidents:
• Sudden acceleration or deceleration of speed
• Sudden stops
• Stopping in between floors
• Failing to stop so that the bottom of the elevator- is level with the floor
• Falling elevator
• Getting struck by or caught between the elevator doors
• Trip accidents
• Fall accidents
Examples of Elevator Injuries:
• Cuts and scrapes
• Nerve lacerations
• Fractured bones
• Death
Property owners with elevators on their premises are obligated to make sure that the elevator is working properly and is up-to-date on all maintenance checks and repairs. Failure to fulfill these obligations can be grounds for a premises liability claim or lawsuit if a passenger is injured or killed.
Elevator Malfunction Injures Three, ABC2news.com, July 30, 2008
Three Hurt in Court Elevator Accident, Delmarvanow.com, July 30, 2008
Related Web Resource:
Deaths and Injuries involving Elevator Accidents, CPWR.com (PDF)
In Maryland and Washington DC, contact Lebowitz & Mzhen today.