Phone: (516) 487-8207
A brutal accident took the life of a woman in a Manhattan elevator this Wednesday, sending pangs of horror through all bystanders.
Around 10am, 41-year-old advertising executive Suzanne Hart had arrived to work at her Midtown marketing firm, Young & Rubicam. As she walked through the doors of the elevator, the doors shut tight on her and the cab shot upward. Ms. Hart was crushed between the elevator and the wall between floors and died immediately.
Two witnesses, a man and woman, were in the elevator at the time and were speedily sent to NYU Langone Medical Center for psychological trauma treatment.
The rest of the building and nearby area was heavily affected. The building was quickly evacuated amid the shock. A neighbor reported having heard banging and screaming.
The latest Department of Buildings inspection was this June. No problems were recorded regarding the elevator in question. The building houses 13 elevators, among which 56 violations had been written between 2001 and 2009. It is unclear whether this particular elevator was issued a violation in the past. In any case, all of the other violations were reportedly attended to.
COMMENTARY:
The question to be asked is "Why did the elevator shoot upward while the doors were still open?"
Elevators are supposed to have interlock mechanisms that prevent the movement of the car while the exterior doors remain open. Only after the outer doors have closed is the elevator car supposed to start going up or down. Unless the building owner, building manager or elevator repair company knew about a defective condition and failed to fix it, the challenge will be to see who, if anyone, is responsible for this horrific death.
As a practicing wrongful death and personal injury attorney in New York, I deal with tragic accidents like this every day. If you have experienced related problems, I want you to pick up the phone and call me. I can help.
MORE INFO:
If you would like more information about how medical malpractice and accident cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational website. If you have legal questions, I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
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