Injured on an Elevator or Escalator in Florida?

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People use escalators and elevators on a daily basis without thinking about how safe these devices may or may not be to ride on to go from floor to floor. These devices have a complex mechanical network that allows each to move correctly, but only when these things are maintained properly. When property owner does not take this seriously, people can become injured. Manufacturers of these devices also do an inadequate job warning users of the possible dangers of using these mechanical devices. If a person does become harmed because an elevator or escalator, he need to hire a personal injury lawyer to fight for the right legal settlement for him.

Florida has laws requiring property owners to keep their property safe for people who enter it by warning them about possible hazards or removing any of the hazards. If the property owners fail to maintain a safe environment, as in, failing to warn the public or other people about maximum load limits on escalators or elevators, the property owners will be held liable for any injuries that happen. The injured person in cases like these need to prove that the property owner neglected to maintain the escalator or elevator properly, even though it was his duty to do so and that an injury was directly caused by this lack of proper action. Courts often decide that when specific accidents occur, such as escalators stopping, or elevators falling suddenly are proof that the property owner failed in his duty to maintain the equipment properly.

In addition, maintenance personnel who are contracted to work on the elevators and escalators could also be held liable for injuries to guests. This happens when these contractors have the task of performing ongoing maintenance on the property owner’s equipment. The maintenance contractors and property owners also could be held accountable when a repair of an escalator or elevator is performed in a negligent manner that causes a malfunction, which in turn causes injury.

One example of this type of injury is when the Pro Player Stadium’s escalator malfunctioned in 2000 causing 200 Miami Dolphins fans to fall. There were 30 injuries in this one accident. The lawyer in this case convinced a jury that both the stadium owners and the manufacturer of the escalator were responsible for this terrifying accident.

When a person is injured on an escalator or elevator in the West Palm Beach area or surrounding areas, they can employ the services of Zimmerman & Frachtman, P.A. law firm. The premises liability lawyers with this firm have the necessary expertise and experience to go into court for them and get the compensation they deserves. Contact the office for an appointment today at (954)509-1900 or come into our offices at 6991 N State Road 7 on the second floor in Parkland Florida 33073.