Accidental deaths of all kind are tragedies, but it is even more tragic when an accidental death that could easily have been prevented still occurs. This is especially true when the victim of said accident is a kind hero whose last act was to save the lives of a woman and child. Unfortunately, just such an accident occurred recently in New York City, when a 25-year-old man was pinned as a malfunctioning elevator began moving suddenly as he tried to exit.
According to reports, the man was celebrating the New Year when he got onto the elevator, which had been the subject of many previous reports. A former president of the Tenants Association recalls being stuck on the same elevator fairly recently, claiming that it would suddenly and unexpectedly jump a few floors up and down. Allegedly, the management company has received several complaints about the elevators, and yet nothing was done to fix them.
Clearly, this accident was simply waiting to happen, and it likely could have been completely prevented if action had been taken by the management company. Unfortunately, a young man was tragically killed due to the malfunctioning elevators, though he managed to push a woman and child away before he was trapped. It is very likely that he saved their lives as a result.
Dangerous property conditions such as these, which property owners should have known about, are precisely the types of incidents that make premises liability law so necessary. Victims of such circumstances, or those who have lost a loved one to such a tragedy, can bring a personal injury claim of premises liability in order to recover compensation for their loss. Consider meeting with an attorney to help you with your case if you have been a victim.
Source: ABC 7, “MAN KILLED AFTER SAVING WOMAN IN NEW YORK CITY ELEVATOR ACCIDENT,” Tim Fleischer, Jan. 1, 2016