EP823 – Advice for New Associates
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Recent recalls and statements by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission have brought to light defects in-home elevators, causing many injuries to our most vulnerable population – young children.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a residential elevator, it is important to consult an experienced attorney in the fields of medicine and engineering. The home elevator injury attorneys at The Simon Law Firm, P.C. have distinct experience working on complex cases and are ready and willing to help.
Home Elevator Law Firm
Residential, in-home elevators can be an incredible aid to many people – whether for freight, to help in transporting family members who are unable to use stairs, or just for ease of travel between floors. With easier access to in-home technology once belonging only to offices and other commercial buildings, more homeowners are installing these products, including residential elevators. In fact, some homeowners who rent their homes on vacation rental websites for the public, who are often uneducated when it comes to the dangers and warnings of residential elevators, install these products to allow a greater population to rent their property without accessibility issues.
With modifications to please aesthetics, home elevators have two components – a landing door, which is a swinging door that looks similar to an ordinary closet door, and a cab door leading into the elevator cab. It has been found that there is a space large enough to fit a small child in between the landing door and cab door, which can lead to severe injuries due to the mechanics of these elevators. The landing door, which is stationary, can pin a child in the space between it and the moving cab door. If an elevator is called to a different floor and a child is pinned between the landing and cab doors, the forces exerted on the child between the stationary and moving surfaces can lead to broken or fractured bones, brain injury, and death.
Residential Elevator Injuries
In complaints made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), families of injured children reported injuries ranging from lacerations to spinal cord injuries, and even death. Unfortunately, due to the rising popularity of these residential elevators, injuries will rise as long as the companies manufacturing these elevators continue to leave a large gap between the doors.
The dedicated attorneys at The Simon Law Firm, P.C. are ready to hold these companies accountable for their production of defective home elevators. Our firm understands that the days, months, and years after a family member has been injured can be very dark, but our faith in the civil justice system and incredible determination push us to work with you to hold these companies accountable.
Our mission is to provide the highest-quality legal services with integrity, professionalism and respect for our clients.
We handle our cases on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t pay unless we recover for your case.
We have been named on of thee “winningest firms” in the U.S. by The National Law Journal.
Our Experience as Home Elevator Attorneys
A true David and Goliath story, our firm has repeatedly taken on cases that most attorneys would turn away due to their inability to take on corporations with hundreds, or even thousands, of attorneys. We believe that true change comes from listening to the stories of our clients, working to build the best possible case, and telling our clients’ stories to a jury. With dedication, support from our clients and vice-versa, and expertise in our fields, The Simon Law Firm, P.C. has proudly represented thousands of clients and recovered nearly $2 billion in verdicts and settlements in the past year.
Our firm’s priority is to obtain justice for our clients. This starts and ends in the same way – by our clients telling their stories. We hear you, we feel your pain, and we are ready to fight by your side for justice.
Home Elevator Recall
On January 11, 2022, Bella Elevator, Inclinator Company of America, and Savaria Corporation joined Otis Elevator Company in recalling in-home elevators due to the high risk of injury to unsupervised children. Supported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these companies are working to replace or repair residential elevators that have been found to have a defect, specifically a large space between the landing door and elevator cab door.
According to the CPSC, around 69,000 elevators are included in this recall, produced by four companies:
- Bella Elevator, LLC
- Inclinator Company of America
- Savaria Corporation
- Otis Elevator Company
This huge number of elevators includes machines installed in private residences, but also in vacation rentals that one might unsuspectingly rent through a website or company. It is important to discuss the safety risk with family but to also ask the host or company renting the home if there has been a repair made per CPSC guidelines.
Simon Law has recovered nearly
$2 Billion
in verdicts and settlements in the past year.
Home Elevator Issues
Residential elevators, contrary to elevators commonly found in offices and malls, have two doors, the landing door, and the elevator cab door, that can be automatic or manual. The issue comes down to the amount of space between the two doors – in common elevators, a cup can barely fit between them, and they have intricate sensors to detect when an object is blocking the doors. Residential elevators rarely have these sensors and the space between the doors has been found to be large enough to fit a child.
Because the landing door is immobile and the elevator cab door rides to the desired floor, children stuck between them find themselves in a dangerous situation where they are pinned between one moving surface and one immobile surface. According to complaints made to the manufacturers and complaints to the CPSC, injuries range from lacerations and extremity fractures to vertebrae fractures and death.
Home Elevator Risks
When the landing door and cab door of the elevator close, there is a gap between them large enough for small children to become pinned between. As is, this is enough to invoke fear and emotional distress. However, when the elevator is called to a floor, physical injuries are almost likely to occur. When called to a floor, the elevator cab moves and the child, pinned between it and the stationary landing door, is inflicted with injuries ranging from lacerations to spinal cord damage and death, according to reports to the CPSC.
Other injuries can include:
- Broken or fractured bones in the extremities
- Extremity amputations
- Brain injury
- Vertebrae fractures
Meet our Dedicated Team of Attorneys
When you need qualified and reliable guidance, you know where to turn.
The Simon Law Firm, P.C. is ready to listen to your story and review the complex aspects of your case.
Simon Law News
Our mission is to provide the highest-quality legal services with
integrity, professionalism, and respect for our clients.
Contact Our Firm Today
No company is too large to be held accountable and The Simon Law Firm, P.C. has a long history of standing up to companies who produce defective products. If you or a loved one has been injured by a defective residential elevator, the experienced attorneys at The Simon Law Firm, P.C. are ready to review the facts of your case and pursue justice on your behalf.
