Day in and day out, people across the United States ride elevators without giving this type of conveyance much thought. Overall, elevators are considered to be generally safe modes of transport. With that said, every year an alarming number of people are injured and even killed in elevator accidents in the United States. Recently, a tragic Brooklyn elevator accident snared headlines across the city, indeed around the world. One person was injured and another individual was killed in this Brooklyn elevator accident.
Case of the Dropped Mobile Phone
The tragic Brooklyn apartment elevator accident began when a tenant somehow accidentally dropped his phone down the building’s elevator shaft. There remains a good deal of discussion as to how this happened, which remains one of the questions considered in the ongoing elevator accident investigation.
The tenant sought the assistance of the apartment building superintendent to retrieve the errant mobile phone from the bottom of the elevator shaft. The supervisor and the tenant went down to the elevator machine room.
Catastrophic Elevator Accident
The Brooklyn elevator accident fairly can be said to be the stuff of a dismal horror flick. The superintendent was in the machine room at the bottom of the shaft. While there, a group of people on an upper floor called the elevator.
As the elevator began its ascent, the superintendent somehow became tangled in ropes associated with the lift. As a consequence, he as pulled upward as the elevator rose to pick up the passengers.
A number of people boarded the elevator, evidently unaware that the building superintendent was dangling beneath the bottom of the lift. They activated the elevator again, this time downward. Ultimately, the elevator arrived at the lowest level, a stop that resulted in the superintendent being crushed beneath the elevator.
The tenant was somehow injured as a result of the elevator accident as well. The exact nature of his injuries, how his injuries occurred, or his current medical state has not been immediately available. None of the passengers on the elevator at the time of the accident were injured.
Focus of Brooklyn Elevator Accident Investigation
While it is clear that the building superintendent went into the elevator machine room of his own volition, a number of important factors bear consideration:
First, the building superintendent went into the elevator machine room as part and parcel of his work for the owner of the complex. In other words, the deceased building superintendent went down to and entered the elevator machine room in the normal course of his employment to provide assistance to a tenant.
Second, a primary focus of the investigation into this grim Brooklyn elevator accident will be on whether or not property safety apparatuses were in place and functional at the time of the incident. In many locations in the United States, including in Brooklyn and throughout the New York boroughs, elevators are outdated and even antiquated. In an alarming number of instances, lifts in the United States do not meet applicable safety codes.
If you’ve been injured in an elevator accident, or if a family member has been killed in an elevator accident, the legal team at The Doan Law Firm is here for you. A nationwide law firm, we’ve offices located from coast to coast, including in New York City at:
14 Wall Street
20th Floor
New York City, New York 10005
(646) 847-0000
You can reach a Doan Law Firm elevator accident lawyer any time of the day or night by calling us in New York City at (646) 847-0000 or from anywhere in the country at (800) 349-0000. We can arrange an initial consultation and case evaluation at any one of your 40 offices in the country. We can also meet you at your home. A virtual appointment online can be arranged with you as well. There is never a charge for an initial consultation with a Doan Law Firm elevator accident attorney.
The Doan Law Firm makes an attorney fee guarantee to you. Our firm never charges an attorney fee unless we win your case for you. Our legal team is dedicated to fighting tirelessly on your behalf to obtain the compensation and justice you deserve.