Kansas City Elevator Injury Lawyer (2024)

Elevator injuries are rare but, when they do happen, the consequences can be devastating. If you or a loved one recently suffered serious injury while using an elevator, you may be able to collect compensation for the full extent of your injuries, pain, and suffering. The attorneys at Dickerson Oxton, LLC handle premises liability cases arising from defective elevators and aggressively protect your right to compensation. Contact us to schedule a free case evaluation with a Kansas City elevator injury lawyer at our firm today.

Elevator accidents often lead to serious, catastrophic, or even deadly injuries. Common injuries include paralysis, amputation, or wrongful death. These may occur as the result of stepping into an empty shaft, being hit by an elevator door, or the sudden rise or fall of an elevator car.

Determining Liability in an Elevator Accident

When an elevator malfunction leads to an injury or death, the first step is finding the parties responsible. Any of the following parties may be responsible for the damages that result:

  • The property owner. First, it’s essential to determine if the elevator’s owner took proper care by conducting safety tests, tending to basic maintenance, and more. If an elevator’s owner did not properly maintain or take care of a dangerous or defective condition, he or she may be responsible for any injuries that result from that defect.
  • The manufacturer of the elevator. At times the company who built or manufactured the elevator is responsible for the damage it causes. This applies when the unit was inherently defective or dangerous, or when something went wrong during the elevator’s production.
  • Another third party. Elevators are highly specialized machines that require maintenance and care from a highly qualified and specifically trained expert. Most property owners do not have their own elevator technicians on staff; rather, they contract out to a third party. When a property owner orders routine maintenance and care, but an elevator still malfunctions, it may be because a third party negligently completed repairs.

As you can see, elevator accidents can involve multiple parties and require a thorough examination into the root cause of the incident. When an elevator accident does occur, it must go out of service and undergo an investigation per current Missouri safety standards. The local officials or state regulatory officials may also study the source of the accident.

Unfortunately, many property owners fail to report these incidents to the proper authorities, fearing retribution or more costly repairs. That’s why it’s essential to contact a Kansas City premises liability lawyer as soon as possible following an elevator accident. The attorneys at Dickerson Oxton, LLC are committed to protecting your right to compensation under Missouri law.

Damages in Elevator Accidents

Once you determine the party liable for your injuries, you can file a claim to compensation for the full extent of your damages with the help of a personal injury attorney in Kansas City. Some examples of these damages include:

  • Economic damages. This provides reimbursem*nt for your material losses such as medical bills and lost wages. In the case of wrongful death, it also addresses final expenses such as loss in income and the burial and funeral.
  • General damages. This is damages which compensate for intangible losses such as physical and emotional pain, suffering, and loss of partnership and consortium.
  • Punitive damages. In limited circ*mstances, you may be able to collect additional damages from a defendant who commits gross negligence.

Though these are some examples of compensation, each case is unique. The negligent party may owe you for one or all of these kinds of damages. Talk to our team for a free review of your legal options. We help hold negligent parties accountable for their actions and secure the compensation you deserve.

Contact a Kansas City Elevator Accident Attorney

If you were the victim of an elevator accident in the Kansas City, MO area, it is possible your accident was caused by the negligence of another party. Dickerson Oxton, LLC has experience handling sensitive cases related to elevator injuries and deaths. Call a Kansas City elevator accident lawyer today at (816) 268-1960 or contact us via our contact form for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help.

Our Personal Injury law firm in Kansas City, MO also provides:

  • Kansas City Construction Accident Lawyers
  • Boat Accident Attorneys in Kansas City, MO
  • Brain Injury Accident Attorneys in Kansas City, MO
  • Kansas City Burn Injury Lawyers
  • Car Accident Lawyers in Kansas City, MO
  • Catastrophic Injury Lawyer in Kansas City, MO
  • Kansas City Dog Bite Accident Lawyers
  • Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Kansas City, MO
  • Motorcycle Accidents Attorneys in Kansas City, MO
  • Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in Kansas City
  • Pedestrian Accident Attorney in Kansas City
  • Personal Injury Attorneys in Kansas City
  • Premises Liability Attorney in Kansas City, MO
  • Product Liability Attorneys in Kansas City, MO
  • Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer in Kansas City, MO
  • Truck Accident Lawyers in Kansas City, MO
  • Workplace Accidents Attorneys in Kansas City
  • Wrongful Death Lawyers in Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Elevator Injury Lawyer (2024)

FAQs

Can you be compensated for being stuck in an elevator? ›

Depending on the details of what happened, you can get compensation for being stuck in a hotel elevator. However, to prove your right to compensation, you must have damages. Consider this situation to learn more.

What is an elevator malfunction? ›

Elevator Malfunction

These include sudden stops, failures to open, abrupt landings, power failures, floor shifting, and elevator lurching. All of these types of elevator malfunctions can be attributed to a specific cause once investigated.

What is elevator compensation? ›

Compensating cable gets its name because it compensates for the weight of suspension ropes to balance (dynamically and mechani- cally) the elevator system. Specifically, it compensates for the weight of the suspension means as it is played out to move the car up and down the hoistway.

Can I sue for being stuck in a lift? ›

They must also remove or reduce the risk of any known hazards from the workplace to prevent accidents from happening. If you want to sue for being stuck in a lift, you must prove that you were harmed due to someone else breaching their duty of care, which caused you to become injured.

Is being stuck in an elevator an emergency? ›

SHOULD YOU CALL 911 IF YOU'RE STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR? Use the elevator phone or your cell phone if you get stuck to call 911. The emergency services team you can contact from inside your elevator expects to handle your specific situation.

Are elevator accidents rare? ›

Despite advancements in mechanics and safety protocols, elevators cause thousands of injuries per year. The above report estimates: An average of 27 deaths per year are attributed to elevator accidents. More than 10,200 people are injured yearly in elevator accidents.

What happens when someone is stuck in an elevator? ›

After checking the doors, press the emergency button for help. In some elevators, there is a phone you can use to actually call for help. Others simply have an alarm button that will notify the building's security, maintenance, or front desk.

How long can you be stuck in an elevator? ›

If the building is active, the longest you'll probably be stuck for is about half an hour to an hour. Keep pressing the emergency button till help comes. However, if the building is closed, then you may have a longer wait (an hour or two, up to 8-9 hours at most), depending on where the emergency call goes to.

Is being stuck in an elevator traumatic? ›

Elevator entrapments can be very stressful, as many people might panic due to claustrophobia or become anxious or irate due to the delay. In order to avoid potential injury, do not try to climb out of the elevator or force open the doors, remain calm and wait for help to arrive.

What is the law of elevator? ›

This is an application of Newton's second law to the forces felt in an elevator. If you are accelerating upward you feel heavier, and if you are accelerating downward you feel lighter. If the elevator cable broke, you would feel weightless since both you and the elevator would be accelerating downward at the same rate.

How rare is it to get stuck in an elevator? ›

There are approximately 900,000 elevators in the United States and the odds of getting stuck in an elevator are 1 in every 100,000 elevator ride.

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