Emergency responders were called to the scene of a frightening elevator accident in Manhattan on January 2nd around 9:30 PM. When they arrived, they found a man at the bottom of an elevator shaft, bleeding from the head.
This latest elevator accident in New York City happened in Midtown at 343 West 40th Street, the location of The Distrikt Hotel. It’s unclear how the man ended up in the elevator shaft but EMTs were able to extricate him and rushed him to a nearby hospital. Eyewitnesses at the scene say the man was conscious at the time he was loaded into the ambulance, but was suffering from some kind of head trauma.
Head injuries are one of the most common (and deadliest) types of injuries suffered by individuals in elevator accidents in New York City. Besides that the inside of elevator shafts are filled with obstacles and objects that victims can easily come into contact with as they tumble through the air, the fall itself poses a significant threat to life and limb. Victims often fall head-first as they stumble or tip into the void of an open elevator shaft.
There should have been safety devices in place to prevent such an elevator accident from happening at all. Simple devices such as mechanical locks that prevent elevator doors from opening when no car is present or electrical shutoffs that prevent elevators from moving and doors from opening prevent entry into the shaft. In the event the elevator was being repaired and not operating, a sign or barricade should have been placed in front of the shaft and the door on each floor sealed shut.
No doubt the New York City Department of buildings will be investigating this case to see if the elevator maintenance and routine inspections were up to date and carried out as required by law.
If you’ve been injured by a fall in a malfunctioning elevator, contact an experienced elevator accident attorney in New York City. Call the Law offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 without any further delay.