There are thousands of elevators and mechanical lifts in New York City-many of which were initially constructed decades ago. And while the vast majority of these are in decent working order, if even a fraction of them malfunction, the number of tragic elevator accidents in New York City could continue to rise. Indeed, it does seem that in recent years the number of elevator malfunctions and outright safety violations resulting in serious injury and death in NYC has increased. Thankfully, the City Council has taken notice.
A recent proposal put forth by the City Council would require that every one of the mechanics charged with repairing, inspecting, and certifying the safe operation of elevators throughout New York City would have to meet nationwide federal standards. The move would also require that each of the more than 7,000 mechanics would have to be licensed by the city in order to legally work on elevators anywhere in New York.
As it stands now, there is no city-wide standard for training or certification for elevator mechanics. This has led to a serious deficit in inspection and repair standards that have led directly to more than one fatal elevator accident in New York.
The measure was partly in response to the tragic death of an ad executive in a shocking elevator accident las year. Suzanne Hart was killed when an elevator suddenly shot upward 20 feet, crushing her.
Another regulation proposed by the Council would see emergency brakes installed on every one of the city’s 60,000+ elevators to stop them from rapid, unexpected upward motion.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an elevator accident in New York City, the property owner, property manager, and elevator maintenance company and/or installer who installed and/or serviced the equipment could potentially be held liable for your injuries.
Speak with an experienced elevator accident attorney in New York today. Call the Law Offices of Nussin S. Fogel at 800-734-9338 or 212-385-1122 for your free consultation.