Last week we brought you the story of the construction site accident, where a man lived despite having a staple lodged into his skull. While its obvious that construction sites can be a dangerous place to work, there are dangers wherever you go.
This is unfortunately the case for an advertising employee in NYC, who was crushed to death by a faulty elevator. Suzanne Hart, 41-year-old employee of New Yorks Young & Rubicam, was boarding the elevator last week when it suddenly moved up without notice. The elevator malfunctioned and went up two floors, then plummeted back down.
Harts body became trapped between the elevator and the wall and remained lodged inside the elevator shaft. Two others were injured in the accident as well. They were taken to the New York University Hospital, but no names have been released.
Transel Elevator Inc. is the company that services the 13 elevators inside the building. They have yet to comment of the tragedy, hoping to investigate more in the upcoming weeks. Director of Transel, Robert Pitney said in an interview that It would be premature to make any comment other than we recognize this as tragic incident and our hearts go out to those involved.
One elevator-safety consultant, Patrick Carajat, said that accidents like these are extremely rare and that its almost beyond comprehension. The reason for this is because the system is designed to prevent the cab from moving while the door is open. There are also motion sensors and interlocking devices to ensure that accidents like this dont happen.
One theory is that a rare power surge somehow tripped the security systems on the elevator. There have been past incidents where a power surge has created the same dangerous shift. Investigators are trying to figure whether a replacement circuit board could have contributed to the sudden surge of power that sent the elevator haywire.
Carajat went on to say that this will be an extensive and major case against the elevator servicing company. Carajat is so experienced in elevator safety that he often serves as an expert witness in cases with elevator accidents. According to Carajat, this kind of accident should have never happened and is almost unheard of. To stay updated on the case and for more information about personal injury and accidents, follow our Killeen and
Waco personal injury lawyer blog at Davis Law.
