Premises Liability And Elevator Accidents

Typically when people think of premises liability, the thought of a person slipping and falling in a store or on a fault sidewalk likely comes to mind. But landlords, employers, elevator companies, and even mass transit authorities can all be held liable for personal injuries that occur on their property or equipment they operate.

Each year, people sustain injuries in accidents that take place when premises and equipment are improperly maintained or managed. These injuries can range from simple ones such as cuts or bruises, major ones like broken or fractured limbs, or even catastrophic ones like brain injuries or even death.

One type of accident covered under premises liability is elevator accidents. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that between 1992 and 2003, 60 fatalities involving elevator accidents took place. In 1994, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 9,800 elevator injuries that resulted in victims being sent to hospitals. There are approximately 500,000 elevators across the U.S., with millions of elevator trips taken each day. State regulations cover the safe construction, operation, and maintenance of elevators, but non-compliance with those regulations is a common occurrence.

Some common types of elevator accidents are sudden acceleration or deceleration of speed, sudden stops, stopping in between floors, failure to stop with the bottom of the elevator level with the floor, falling elevator, getting struck or caught between elevator doors, trip accidents, and fall accidents.

Property owners with elevators on their premises are obligated to ensure that the elevator is properly functioning and up-to-date on maintenance checks and repairs. Failure to do so can be grounds for premises liability claims and lawsuits.