According to the
New York Daily News, a 37-year-old man had been crushed to death trying to escape a stalled
elevator in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The incident occurred last Friday,
at approximately 4:15 am. The man and his companion were leaving a rooftop
party held at the building when they boarded the elevator. In total, there
were 14 passengers in the car, considered above the recommended limit.
When the elevator stalled, the man attempted to escape and maneuver to
the lobby by climbing out of the hatch. According to reports, the elevator
then dropped and stopped just below the lobby level, pinning the lower
half of his body between the lobby floor and the roof of the elevator.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Record of Lift Malfunctions
Tenants of the Espoir apartment building had been complaining for several
years that the elevator frequently malfunctioned. Some residents had stated
the elevator would often “wobble” and “jerk up and down.”
There had been periods where the elevator was out of order, sometimes
on, sometimes off, and even closed down for several months at a time.
Since 2013, there had been four safety code violations. One inspection
in 2014 found that the elevator was “unsatisfactory.” However,
in July 2015, an inspector passed the elevator but stated that the capacity
should only be 10 people.
Because the apartment complex is owned by a private entity and not a city-owned
property, it falls on the building owners to maintain the elevator. Tenants
had long been complaining about the elevator’s instability, and
the fact that it had failed several inspections should not be ignored.
Legal Counsel from Brooklyn Injury Attorneys
Elevator injuries almost always point to negligence—on the part of
the inspectors, building owners, or even the contractors who had originally
designed and constructed the elevator. There needs to be an exhaustive
and thorough investigation of incidents to bring forth a claim. Immediate
testing must be done on the elevator, as well, to determine how and what
stalled the elevator and caused this accident. Our New York
personal injury lawyers at Belushin Law Firm, P.C. offer free case consultations to discuss
any and all injury and negligence-related matters.
Why should Belushin Law Firm, P.C. be your first choice? Read more here.