People living in New York City don’t expect there to be hazards in their own apartment buildings. They expect that elevators will be maintained so that residents remain safe. However, that was not the case in one New York City apartment where a 17-year-old was seriously injured after the cables broke in an elevator he was riding in, causing the elevator to fall three stories.
The elevator accident happened late last month. According to reports, the 17-year-old boy was visiting friends on the fifth floor of his apartment building. Around 9 p.m. he stepped into the elevator to return to his apartment on the second floor. Just as the elevator car was about to stop on the second floor the cables broke.
The young man reportedly flew up and hit his back on the ceiling of the elevator car. Firefighters were able to remove him. He was taken to Lincoln Hospital. Fortunately, he is in stable condition.
According to the Department of Buildings, the apartment building where the incident occurred has three open violations. Records indicate that the violations include failure to maintain building in code for worn car shoes, improper lighting and unsecure electrical wires on the top of the elevator.
Other residents say the elevator was making strange clicking noises before the incident. One neighbor said it was so loud it sounded like someone was moving furniture. According to one source, when the cables broke it shook the entire apartment building.
Elevator accidents can be quite serious. People can sustain injuries or even die. As readers might recall, a 41-year-old advertising executive was tragically killed in an elevator accident in December.
New Yorkers who have been injured in an elevator accident may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. The compensation may be used to pay medical bills, make up for lost wages and to cover any pain and suffering a person may have endured as a result of the accident.
Source: New York Daily News, “Bronx teen miraculously survives after elevator cable snaps in Bronx building,” Edgar Sandoval and Sandra Armaghan, March 30, 2012
