People rely on elevators and escalators whenever they do not want to take the stairs. In some buildings, taking the elevator is really the only option to get to an office or apartment. Elevators, however, do have a history of injuring people. Fortunately for the millions that take elevators on a daily basis, the most commonly injured people are the individuals who are repairing the elevator.
Common causes of injury to passengers include:
- Not opening level with the floor
- Getting stuck
- Sudden increases or decreases in speed
- Missing the floor of a building
- Falling or plummeting down the elevator shaft
Of the above causes of injuries, all are fairly rare. Other elevator accidents can be caused by:
- Poorly positioned elevator floors causing people to trip on an uneven surface
- Elevator doors opening onto an open shaft
- Being trapped in a closing door
- Accessible elevator shafts
These injuries are also uncommon. Despite the rarity of elevator injuries, on a yearly basis, there are 30 fatalities caused by an elevator in some way. In addition to the 30 fatalities, more than 10,000 people are injured on an annual basis.
In an effort to protect individuals, most states and cities have enacted regulations that cover the construction, operation, and maintenance of elevators. However, it is not uncommon for buildings not to comply with the various regulations.
Contact a Minneapolis Elevator Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in an elevator or while working on an elevator, contact the Minnesota personal injury attorneys of TSR Injury Law at (612) TSR-TIME or submit our contact form.
