A teenager exploring the abandoned Staten Island hospital complex on Castleton Ave. fell to his death in a terrible elevator accident in New York last week. The 16-year-old boy, Marcos Castillo, fell from the seventh story straight down an interior elevator shaft. The accident occurred at roughly 4:45 PM. Rescue workers rushed Castillo to Richmond University Hospital with severe trauma to his head. He was declared dead on arrival.
He and four other friends were exploring the derelict building that afternoon. One man, Emmanuel Quiros, told reporters that the vacant building has been an attractive hazard to children for as long as he could remember. “Since I’ve been in high school, kids have been going in there.”
An investigation into the status of the building after this latest elevator accident in New York revealed that the New York Department of Buildings has hundreds of violations and incidents on file regarding this address. A spokesperson for the agency allegedly told reporters that as long as the doors and windows at the abandoned facility remain unsealed the curious and destitute will find their way inside this evermore dangerous death trap.
An owner is responsible for safety of all those individuals in and around his or her property. Even if the teen was trespassing, the owner could be held responsible if the owner knew or should have known that elevator shaft was dangerous and that individuals were coming onto the property.
While the facility originally belonged to the Staten Island Hospital, several property developers have purchased one or more of the decaying buildings in hope of rehabilitating them and would be financially responsible for the boy’s death. Damages would include pain and suffering for the time the teen survived after the fall and medical, hospital and funeral expenses.
If you or a loved one has been injured because of the negligence of a property owner, contact an expert New York City premises liability lawyer today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel for a free consultation at or 212-385-1122 to learn your rights.