Our Firm has Defended Companies in Lawsuits Involving Elevators and Escalators
THE SWARTZ LAW OFFICE has extensive experience defending lawsuits involving alleged elevator free-fall, entrapment, misleveling, and door malfunctions. including wrongful death, catastrophic injuries and other significant exposure.
Elevators, escalators, and other devices, collectively known as vertical transportation, are safer now than they have ever been. Yet, companies that design, install and maintain them can be targeted unfairly by plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits. A passenger in an elevator might sense a change in direction or even a “free fall” when all that is happening is an unexpected deceleration or stop. A successful defense requires solid knowledge of science and technical issues, as well as the law. New York City has approximately 70,000 elevators and escalators, and the applicable codes, rules, statutes, and case law are among the most stringent and complicated in the Country. Full-service maintenance contracts and the legal principle of res ipsa loquitur can place difficult burdens on the defense. We have represented maintenance companies, installers, manufacturers, and designers of various forms of vertical transportation.
We have prevailed at trial and on summary judgment in such cases on behalf of our clients.