Chicago Escalator Accident Attorneys

Escalators are handy devices to travel from one floor to the next when carrying bags, which makes them perfect for large retail stores and airports. There are over 30,000 escalators in the U.S., each handling an average of 3,000 people per hour. Although escalators can reduce the strain of climbing stairs, they require powerful machinery with many moving parts that can be dangerous to their riders.

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC regularly prosecutes Chicago personal injury cases involving injuries sustained in escalator accidents. Our attorneys will investigate and litigate your escalator accident case without any out-of-pocket expense on your part. We are paid for our legal services only when we have secure your monetary recovery on your behalf. Contact our office today to receive a free case review of an Illinois escalator accident case involving yourself or your family.

Escalators Particularly Dangerous for Children

Escalators are intriguing to children and look more like a carnival ride instead of a convenient device in an imaginative young mind. However, small hands, feet and fingers are easily trapped and crushed in the moving parts of these devices, making them especially dangerous for children.

In 2006, the Ohio State University published a study on escalator accidents involving children. They used data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate the prevalence of escalator accidents in children from 0-19 years of age in a 13-year period. From 1990-2002 there were approximately 26,000 accidents involving these young children and escalators. Their research found that:

• Children 5 years or younger accounted for 13,000 of the injuries
• Falling was the most prevalent cause of injury
• Entrapment accounted for 29.3% of all injuries, 36.5% in children under 5
• Legs were the body part most often injured, except in children under 5, who had their hand injured 40% of time
• 833 injuries were amputations or avulsions, 71.4% of these children under 5

The findings of the study revealed that the number of children under five who were injured was disproportionate. The study showed that better escalator design could prevent many of these injuries. Reducing the gaps between the steps and sidewalls or adding guards could reduce the number of injuries that young children experience, especially entrapment hand injuries.

Elderly Escalator Injuries

Between 1995 and 2002, an estimated 40,000 elderly people had an injury while riding an escalator. Falling was by far the most common cause of trauma for older persons hurt on escalators. Some factors that may contribute to these injuries are:

• Balance issues
• Limited mobility
• Vertigo

Elderly persons that use walking devices such as walkers or canes should avoid escalators all together and use an elevator when available.  As attorneys representing people in these lawsuits, our responsibility is to anticipate some of these defenses from the onset of the case to preemptively address these issues which can lessen the value of the case with an addition of comparative fault.

Mechanical Malfunctions on Escalators and Moving Walk-ways Resulting In Catastrophic Injuries

When an escalator malfunctions, it can easily cause serious injury accidents. Injuries can occur when an escalator suddenly speeds up, stops or reverses direction.

• Fifteen people were injured when an escalator came to an abrupt halt at a Washington Redskin game in September 2012
• Six people were injured at a train station in New Jersey when the escalator changed direction in January 2013
• Four people were injured at a Bellevue, WA Macy store when the escalator malfunctioned and pieces began falling off in December 2012

Poor maintenance can attribute to malfunctions, and it is the responsibility of the owners of these escalators to properly maintain their equipment. Escalator safety is regulated by state law and has specific requirements regarding maintaining these devices.

If you were injured while riding an escalator or moving walkway in Illinois, you might be able to receive financial compensation for your injuries. Depending on the circumstance, the property owner and even the manufacturer or installer of the escalator may be liable for your damages. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have experienced Chicago premises liability attorneys that can help determine the entities that are legally responsible for your injury. Call today for a free consultation to discuss your escalator injury case.

Resources on escalator accidents, safety, and injury prevention:

• http://raleigh.legalexaminer.com/property-owners-liability-slip-and-fall/escalator-injuries-to-elderly-have-doubled.aspx
• http://www.elcosh.org/document/1232/d000397/Deaths%2Band%2BInjuries%2BInvolving%2BElevators%2Band%2BEscalators%2B-%2BA%2BReport%2Bof%2Bthe%2BCenter%2BTo%2BProtect%2BWorkers%2527%2BRights.html?show_text=1#7
• http://www.neii.org/presskit/printmaster.cfm?plink=NEII%20Elevator%20and%20Escalator%20Fun%20Facts.cfm
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16882773
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2012/09/23/several-fans-at-bengals-redskins-game-injured-when-escalator-malfunctions/