Injury After Elevator Drops Ten Floors In Kensington

Most of us have experienced a quick flash of fear when an elevator jolts or makes strange noises. Some people refuse to use elevators, even if it means climbing 5 flights of stairs. Fortunately, elevator accidents that cause injury or death are relatively rare. However, a man in Philadelphia was recently injured when an elevator fell 10 floors to the ground. 

Elevator Accident in Kensington

According to ABC 6, a 26-year-old man was injured after falling 10 floors in an elevator. The accident happened in the afternoon at a worksite on North 2nd Street in Kensington. The man was inside the elevator when a cable snapped, dropping the elevator 10 floors to the ground. The man was taken by paramedics to Temple University Hospital for medical treatment. 

Elevator Crash at Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center

In 2016, there was an elevator accident at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center that injured a number of people. A sheriff’s deputy was left paralyzed from the waist down after he was injured in the elevator crash. Deputy Paul Owens was riding in an elevator when it took off at high speed, going up 15 stories before crashing through the concrete ceiling at the top of the building. 

Owens was rushed to the hospital for back surgery and was in a coma for 5 weeks before he awoke. He is now paralyzed from the chest down. Owens remembered, “I grabbed the railing, and I just remember holding on. After that, I don’t remember anything until I woke up in the hospital.”

Instead of the elevator dropping, the elevator error involved ascending car overspeed. This can occur when a power or equipment failure releases the elevator car and the counterweight falls, pulling the car up the shaft at a high speed. 

A building manager said he warned about the elevators before the crash but his concerns were ignored. Duilio “Lou” Angelini says he warned his bosses about lax maintenance and inspection reports that were “dummied up.” After Angelini continued to raise concerns, he was demoted and then fired from his position. Angelini has since filed a whistleblower lawsuit. 

 Elevator Accident Statistics

Every year, about 17,000 people are injured in elevator accidents and about 30 people are killed. Some elevator accidents occur when the passenger trips or falls while getting on or off the elevator. 

Many of the serious injuries involving elevators occur with construction workers, elevator mechanics, and facilities maintenance workers. As we wrote about in 2016, a maintenance worker had his arm severed at the elbow while working on an elevator in New York City. 

Compensation After an Elevator Accident

Elevator accidents can cause serious injury, paralysis, or death. An elevator accident may have been caused by a lack of proper maintenance, failure to keep the elevator in a safe condition, or a property owner’s negligence. 

The trial attorneys at Gilman & Bedigian are committed to helping injury victims and their families get compensation after an accident. To discuss your case with a member of our legal team, fill out an online case evaluation form or call (800) 529-6162 today.