There are hundreds of thousands of elevators and escalators in a variety of settings: office buildings, retail stores, and apartment buildings, to name the most common. While there are twenty times more elevators than escalators, the number of persons injured or killed by these two modes of transportation are about equal.

In California, public elevators and escalators are considered “common carriers” and as such owe their passengers the highest degree of safety (“due care”) to ensure they are not injured or killed while riding the conveyance. As a common carrier, the owner/operator of the elevator or escalator must use the utmost care and diligence for the passengers’ safety, including providing elevators and escalators that are “safe and fit” for their intended purpose.

Many elevator accidents occur when the car is not flush with floor, creating a tripping hazard to passengers exiting or entering the elevator car. Hand and forearm and foot and lower leg injuries can result when a person attempts to stop the elevator’s doors from closing so he or she can board the elevator car. Occasionally an elevator cable will break, causing the elevator to drop to ground level in a free fall, seriously injuring or killing its passengers. However, modern elevators are usually equipped with a safety brake system to prevent this from happening; still, sometimes the brakes fail due to faulty installation or maintenance, resulting in serious injuries to, even death of, the elevator car’s passengers.

The majority of escalator accidents are caused by worn, damage, or faulty equipment that could have been prevented if the escalator had been regularly inspected, serviced, and maintained. A frequent cause of action involving escalators is when there is too much space between the moving stairs and the stationary rail, resulting in a person’s foot or a child’s hand being caught in the space, suffering severe injuries.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in an accident involving an elevator or escalator, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer immediately so he or she can start working right away to obtain all the monetary compensation you are entitled to.