Most people don't consider an elevator to be dangerous. In fact, nearly 120 billion people enter 660,000 elevators every tear in the United States. However, that naïve assumption couldn't be further from the truth. CBS News says that more than 29,000 children and teens in the United States had to visit a hospital for an elevator injury between 1990 and 2004. This means that there are approximately 1,940 elevator injuries per year, to teens and children alone. These figures were arrived at by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which took information from 98 hospital emergency rooms all across the nation.
Most of these children were treated and then sent home the same day from their emergency room hospital visit. But two percent of these injuries involved hospitalization because of a head, neck, or back injury. Toddlers are at an especially high risk for an elevator injury, 26 percent of all elevator injuries happen to one and two year olds, who are too young to know how to stay safe on an elevator. They often move too close to the strong doors, or may punch buttons that cause a malfunction. Children should always be supervised near elevators.
Most elevator injuries involve the danger of the strong elevator doors, which can close on a person's limbs. Many times a child will be pinched when an elevator closes on his or her hands, arms, elbows, legs, or toes. Normally the only wounds inflicted are scrapes and bruises, but they can also cause strains, fractures, and breaks. Children aren't the only persons that are susceptible to an elevator injury. Adults can also experience an injury when they fail to move away from a closing door.
On December 14th, 2011, a New York City advertising executive stepped into an elevator to make her way up to her office when the elevator malfunctioned. An elevator repairman had disabled the function that keeps the elevator from moving when the doors were open. As this woman stepped in, the elevator began its trip to the ninth floor, dragging her and crushing her arm and leg. The other men and women inside the elevator escaped with minor injuries, but this woman did not survive. This tragic occurrence was one of 53 elevator accidents in New York City last year.
A Web MD research study shows that more than 2,600 older adults end up in the emergency room each year because of an elevator injury. Much of the time, these elderly people are not able to perceive the dip between the elevator and the floor, and may trip. People who use walking aids like canes may find that their cane gets wedged in the crack between elevator shaft and the floor. This can create a serious issue if the door starts to close, especially in an older elevator without a motion sensor. Web MD states that the potential for injury by an elevator escalates with age. Older women over 85 are most prone to trip and fall when entering or exiting an elevator. Elderly people may also fall when the elevator jolts.
Women in heels also need to be incredible careful when entering and exiting elevators. Oftentimes a stiletto heel can get wedged in the crack between the shaft and the elevator, and the woman will be stuck when the doors attempt to close. A researcher at the Indiana University School of Medicine says that elevator related injuries are not accidental, and they are easily preventable. If people created safer elevators then there would not be so many problems.
Steer clear of the doors when possible, and walk through them quickly when entering or exiting. While most doors have motion sensors now, there are still times when an elevator will malfunction. Never stick a limb into the doorway to stop the door from closing. If you have been injured by an elevator door, you may be eligible for compensation. Your case will depend on the extent of your injuries and whether or not your injuries could have been prevented. Talk to a personal injury attorney to find out whether or not you should sue for your pain.