Escalator Injuries

Escalators can be found at malls, department stores, hotels, subways, and airports among many other types of commercial properties and public buildings. We count on them to move us quickly through high traffic areas where elevators would be impractical.

Approximately 90 billion riders travel on more than 30,000 escalators each year. But although there are about 20 times more elevators than there are escalators, the number of accidents for both modes of transportation is nearly the same.

Falls account for approximately three quarters of escalator injuries whereas entrapment at the top or bottom or between a moving stair and sidewall account for 20 percent of escalator injuries. The latter caught in injuries, however, tend to be more serious, and about half of sidewall-entrapment injuries involve children under five years old. Children's injuries are mostly due to their hands, footwear (often a shoelace) getting caught in a comb plate or in the space between the moving stairs and a sidewall.

Escalator safety code regulations vary from state to state. Some courts apply the standard of a duty of reasonable care for the safety of escalator riders. Others compel the higher standard of care of a common carrier.

There are also different types of claims that can be made in an escalator injury lawsuit, including those for negligence, strict liability, and failure to warn. The most common type of claim in cases in which a body part got caught in an escalator is for negligence. A claim for negligent design or inadequate repair or maintenance is common among escalator injury negligence cases.

Strict liability may be established if the escalator is shown to be intrinsically dangerous. Failure to warn can come into play if an entity responsible for the escalator knew or had reason to know that a danger was posed but failed to warn the public in an appropriate and timely manner.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an incident involving an escalator, you may be entitled to compensation. An experienced personal injury or product liability attorney can evaluate your case and inform you with regard to your legal rights and options. Contact a qualified PersonalInjury.com lawyer for such an evaluation.