Uneven Level Accidents

Chicago Lawyers Dedicated to Assisting Victims Injured in Elevators

Dealing with the aftermath of an elevator accident is never easy. If you or someone you love has been injured in an elevator accident caused by the elevator level being uneven with the intended floor, our Chicago elevator accident attorneys can help protect your rights. At Therman Law Offices, we believe in getting our clients the compensation that they deserve for their harm. You can rest assured that we can thoroughly examine the facts of an uneven level accident and come up with a legal strategy accordingly.

It is estimated that the 90,000 elevators in the United States make 18 billion passenger trips each year. Each elevator carries an average of five people per trip, serving 20,000 people annually. In addition, the average elevator lift height is about 40 feet, equivalent to rising four or five floors. Approximately 27 individuals are killed each year in elevator accidents, and around 10,000 people are injured.

When an elevator fails to come to a stop that is level with a hallway or an intended floor, an uneven level accident can occur. Put another way, an uneven level accident takes place when an elevator fails to come to a stop that is level with a finished floor. This type of issue can arise in brake-controlled elevators, which are usually found in older apartment buildings. Uneven level accidents can also occur in hydraulic elevators, due to problems with low oil conditions or valve leakages. These accidents can also take place when an elevator car stops between floors, resulting in riders getting trapped or suffering trip and falls.

Most elevator accident cases are rooted in the theory of negligence. Negligence occurs when an injury or death happens because a party failed to use reasonable care. Reasonable care is defined as how a prudent party would have acted in the same circumstances. To win on a negligence claim, you must provide evidence to show that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care, the defendant breached the duty of care owed to the plaintiff, and the plaintiff’s injury was a direct result of the defendant’s breach. Each of these points must be established before any damages can be recovered.