Injured in an Escalator Accident? Let the Experienced Attorneys at The Licatesi Law Group Help!

Escalators have been common forms of travel for over a century. They are an integral part of department stores, malls, office buildings, subways, stadiums, museums, and more. Although escalators are daily part of New Yorkers’ lives, malfunctions often occur resulting in devastating injuries.

How Does an Escalator Malfunction?

A single escalator is utilized by numerous individuals throughout the day. Like any machine that wears down, consistent maintenance is required. Failure to do so can result in life-threatening malfunctions.

Accidents occur as a result of:

• Sudden movements, such as jerking, sudden stops or acceleration, and switching to reverse.
• Snagging of clothing, shoes, shoelaces, sandals, and more.
• Gaps large enough to trap a person’s foot.
• Broken handrails.
• Broken/missing steps.
• Loose screws and other parts.

Escalators need to be regularly checked and maintained in order to avoid a serious catastrophe. Even the design of the escalator must be carefully thought out to avoid disaster.

Have You or a Loved One Been Seriously Injured by an Escalator?

There is a plethora of ways a malfunctioning escalator can cause injury. In severe cases, the injury sustained could leave you permanently impaired.

Crushing injuries, often involving the limbs, tend to be the most damaging. A gap in the steps or your clothing catching could be all it takes to trap a limb within the machinery. From there, the body part could be severely crushed, resulting in disfigurement, amputation, and death.

An escalator making sudden, jerky motions is a common perpetrator for trip and fall cases. Depending on how you fall, injuries to the head, neck, back, legs, and other body parts can occur. Broken and/or fractured bones are another possibility as well as lacerations and burns.

Get the information you need from an established Long Island escalator accident attorney.

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Who Should Be Held Accountable?

Different parties may be at fault depending on the cause of the injury. Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney may be necessary to review your case and determine the liable party.

The property owner could be responsible. Whoever owns the building may have already been aware of the malfunction. They may have chosen to ignore the issue resulting in someone suffering an injury. Even the building’s security company could be at fault. Part of their job is to ensure the safety of the building. If an escalator is malfunctioning, they might also have been aware of it or, at least, should have been aware.

The maintenance company is another possibility. Their job is to maintain the escalators. Accidents can result from inadequate inspections, improper repairs and installation of equipment.

There’s also a chance that the escalator manufacturer is to blame. Anything from the design to the construction of the escalator could have gone wrong, resulting in injury.

Contact Us!

If you or a loved one were injured by an escalator as a result of negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact The Licatesi Law Group to see what your case is worth! You can reach out to us by calling 516-227-2662 and asking for a free consultation. You may also contact our Uniondale or Brooklyn office online.