Who is responsible for apartment elevator accident injuries?

“Home, sweet home” was anything but that for a nine-year-old girl and her friend and an allegedly temperamental elevator. One of the girls was reportedly seriously injured when attempting to exit an allegedly malfunctioning elevator in an apartment building. Her family has reportedly retained a personal injury attorney. 

According to the friend, when the elevator the girls were riding in allegedly continued going up and down without stopping at any floors, they pressed the “Stop” button and then the “Open” one. One girl jumped over a “black hole” to safety but the other girl reportedly fell and hit her head before falling 30 feet down the elevator shaft to the basement level. She allegedly sustained serious injuries including a “badly broken leg” that required surgical repair and a metal plate, head injuries, and a broken pelvis that cannot be surgically repaired. 

Premises liability lawsuits fall within the realm of personal injury law. They may be appropriate when a residential or commercial property owner fails to maintain their premises in a safe manner for those who enter upon it. If someone on the premises is injured due to an unsafe condition, the property owner may be liable for their damages, especially if they were aware of the condition or problem but did not correct it. Residents in the apartment elevator case allegedly told investigators that the elevator has “a long history of problems over the past year”. 

Recoverable damages differ on a case-by-case basis but may include such items as current and future medical expenses, current and future lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering. It should be noted that, in many states, the property owner’s duty varies according to the classification of the entrant who got injured on the premises. For example, trespassers, licensees, and invitees are different classes of “entrants”. Yet the common standard is generally “reasonableness under the circumstances”. 

When injured, it’s important to hire a skilled personal injury attorney as soon as possible, ideally before the property owner can repair or correct the condition that caused the injuries. 

If you or a loved one has been hurt, or a loved one has been killed, as a result of someone else’s negligence, the Noland Law Firm can help maximize the compensation to which you may be entitled. Contact us today for a free consultation.
From our offices in Liberty, Missouri, we represent injured people and their families throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and western Missouri, including Clay County, Liberty, Blue Springs, Independence, and Gladstone.