A woman was rescued from a terrifying nightmare after an elevator accident in Manhattan left her trapped in the closet-sized car for three days. The woman, a cleaner employed in a Manhattan town house, became trapped on February 1st when the motor on the elevator she was riding in failed. She attempted to use the emergency phone inside the elevator to call for help but it too was malfunctioning.
She remained in the elevator all weekend until an FDNY crew received a 911 call emanating from the building alerting them to the danger. They rushed to the scene of the elevator accident in New York and forced entry into the car. The woman was alive but seriously distraught and dehydrated. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Department of Buildings was called in to investigate this terrifying elevator accident in Manhattan. They discovered that the motor indeed was faulty and that the emergency phone was not functioning at the time of the accident. The building was issued three violations. The investigation by Department of Buildings will seek out any persons who made any complaints about this particular elevator and whether those complaints should have put the owner on notice that there was a problem with this elevator. Common elevator accidents include misleveling of the cab with thefloor, elevator door closing too quickly and sudden stops or drops. Also, an inquiry as to whether an elevator maintenance company was ever called to examine this elevator and then failed to make a necessary repair. Property owners, building managers and/or elevator maintenance companies can be held liable for injuries, lost time from work and unpaid medical expenses resulting from failing to properly maintain the building elevators.
If you’ve been injured or by a malfunctioning elevator in a public or private building, contact an experienced elevator accident attorney in New York City to recover the compensation you deserve. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for your free consultation.