According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, elevators and escalators kill around 30 individuals and seriously injure around 17,000 people every year. These numbers are quite frightening and anyone who goes into an elevator or an escalator should take proper care to follow all of the appropriate safety rules so that they remain safe during their ride.

Some ways in which a person can get hurt while riding an elevator includes:

• Getting injured as the elevator falls down the shaft
• Getting hurt while fixing an elevator car
• Amputation due to a limb being trapped
• Lack of coordination of the elevator causing one to fall
• Falling due to the sudden drop of an elevator

Some of these injuries are more serious than others. If an elevator happens to malfunction drastically then a person can be seriously hurt or even lose their life. The more severe the injury is, the more reason a person has to report the incident at their earliest convenience.

Who should I report an elevator accident to?

If a person was hurt in an elevator, or they lost a loved one due to an elevator they should file a complaint with the owner of the building and contact a wrongful death attorney in Boca Raton, Florida in order to take legal action. It is vital that a person gets in touch with authorities as soon as possible in order to prevent future accidents from occurring and to prevent other innocent people from getting hurt.

The elevator which caused the problem will have to undergo investigation by:

• The buildings insurance company
• Police officers
• OSHA
• State regulatory officials

Once the elevator has been inspected carefully repairs will begin on it and all the individuals who had a look at it will determine who was responsible for the accident. Was the manufacturer at fault for not building it correctly? Was the installer responsible for not installing it properly? The answers to these questions depend on one’s specific accident and what caused the elevator to not work properly.

What can a lawyer do for me?

If someone’s family members have been killed in an elevator accident then a wrongful death lawyer can help a person figure out who is at fault for the accident and they can help a person take legal action against that individual.

If the building management is held responsible for failing to maintain the elevators on a regular basis then a lawyer can help a person gather evidence and witnesses of the incident. A lawyer can also help collect documents and testimonies from inspectors stating what the cause of the accident was.

Elevator inspection contractors are generally required to keep records of how often they visited to check out the elevator and also on how long they took to examine the elevator properly. An attorney can help a person get access to these records to present as evidence when making their claim.

If a person is able to collect enough evidence and present it in court they will most likely be able to claim monetary compensation for the injuries they suffered or for the pain they suffered due to losing a loved one.