Elevator Accident Lawsuit

Lawsuits have ended in multi-million dollar payouts for people who were crushed, injured, or killed in elevator accidents.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting elevator accident induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by an elevator with dangerous safety problems, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Accident & Personal Injury Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

Home Elevators Pose a Hidden and Deadly Hazard – Children Can Be Crushed to Death in a Gap Between the Doors

UPDATE: 31,000 Home Elevators Recalled After Child Suffers Spinal Injury

In August 2022, Residential Elevators Inc. recalled about 31,000 home elevators to install space guards in a hazardous gap. The recall was announced after a child was crushed and suffered a serious spinal injury when they became trapped in the gap between the doors. The recall involves models Easy Rider, Horizon Lift, Luxury Lift, Luxury Lift Hydraulic, Luxury Lift Traction and RE, which were sold from 1986 through July 2022 for $20,000 to $35,000.

69,000 Home Elevators Recalled for Deadly Risk to Kids

In January 2022, three manufacturers recalled 69,000 home elevators because kids can get trapped between the inner and outer doors, and suffer horrific injuries or death if the elevator moves up or down.

The problem is the gap between the outer door (which looks like a normal door in a house) and the inner accordion-style door on the elevator cab. A child can squeeze up against the inner door and get trapped if the outer door closes. If the elevator moves to another floor, the child can be crushed to death by the cab.

The manufacturers will provide owners with a free space guard, which is an inexpensive safety feature that fills the gap and prevents children from becoming trapped.

The recalled elevators include:

Bella Elevator: Sold from 2009 to 2021. The models include Symmetry IGD, Hydraulic, and Winding Drum Elevators.
Inclinator Company of America: Sold from January 1979 to December 2021. The models include Winding Drum (450 – 1,000 lb.), Hydraulic Drive, Chain Drive, Traction Drive and Overhead Cable Drum.
Savaria Corporation:Savaria and Garaventa home elevators: Sold from 1999 through 2021. The models include Eclipse, Infinity, Kwiklift, MR and HR.

7-Year-Old Boy Dies in Tragic Elevator Accident at Vacation Rental Home

In July 2021, a 7 year-old boy from Ohio was crushed to death in a horrific elevator accident at a vacation rental home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. According to fire officials, the boy became trapped between the outer door and the elevator’s inner accordion door. When the elevator moved, his neck was broken when he got stuck between the bottom of the elevator car and the top of the door frame.

CPSC Sues ThyssenKrupp to Recall & Fix Deadly Elevators

On July 7, 2021, just days before the boy’s death in North Carolina, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted to file a lawsuit ThyssenKrupp to recall and fix home elevators.

The CPSC said it will demand that ThyssenKrupp recall all of its home elevators, inspect them, and fix the safety hazard by installing inexpensive safety devices (such as a space guard) that will prevent children from becoming trapped, crushed, or killed.

Otis Elevator Recalls 5,000 Home Elevators for Deadly Risk to Kids

After years of deadly home elevator accidents, Otis Elevator — the world’s largest elevator company — recalled around 5,000 home elevators that pose a deadly risk to children. Otis reported at least 4 children who suffered “a crushed spine and abdomen, fractured hip, broken arm and feet, and bruising to the face and chest,” when they got trapped and were hit by an elevator.

Why Are Home Elevators So Dangerous?

Home elevators can be dangerous because of a 5-inch gap between the interior door and exterior door, which is just wide enough for a child to get trapped. If the elevator moves, a child can be crushed by the elevator car. For example, in Utah, a 4-year-old child named Kaleb nearly died on Thanksgiving 2019, when he was pinned under a home elevator at his grandparents’ home. He narrowly avoided being crushed to death. The elevator was installed by ThyssenKrupp, which owns Wheel-O-Vator.

Otis Pays $3 Million Settlement in Deadly Elevator Accident Lawsuit

In 2003, Otis paid $3 million to settle an elevator accident lawsuit involving an 8 year-old boy named Tucker who died of severe head trauma when he got stuck between the doors and the elevator moved.

Other Types of Elevator Accidents

Lawsuits against elevator manufacturers may involve these common types of accidents:

Sudden stops and landings
Doors fail to open
Children who are crushed between doors
Hit by elevator door
Malfunctioning elevators
Poorly-maintained elevators
Improper installation
Mis-leveling with floors
Deaths

Texas Nurse Files Lawsuit After Severe Elevator Injuries

In 2019, a nurse at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, filed an elevator accident lawsuit against ThyssenKrupp after she was injured when it malfunctioned.

According to investigators, worn-out brakes caused the elevator to continue moving up when the doors opened. The nurse tried to enter the elevator, but she was crushing between the elevator and the wall. She suffered brain damage, a broken back, and ruptured intestine.

$1.9 Million Settlement in Elevator Accident Lawsuit

An elevator repair company paid $1.9 million settlement to a 29-year-old maintenance worker who suffered severe injuries in an elevator accident. He was injured when the elevator stopped suddenly and the escape hatch fell and hit him in the head, neck, and shoulder.

Report: Elevator That Crushed Grocery Store Worker Was Illegally Installed

In December 2020, a 39-year-old employee of the Food Emporium in New York City died in a tragic elevator accident. Investigators believe she was loading a small freight elevator (or “dumbwaiter”) in the basement when it moved upward and crushed her head. The elevator was unregistered and illegally installed.

Do I have an Elevator Accident Lawsuit?

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