Injured Nurse Files Elevator Accident Lawsuit Against Hospital
A Texas nurse injured at the hospital where she works recently filed an elevator accident lawsuit against her employer, claiming the company and its elevator maintenance contractor were negligent and caused her serious injuries. The personal injury lawsuit names Fort Worth-based John Peter Smith Hospital and the hospital’s former elevator contractor Thyssenkrupp as defendants and could eventually name others involved in the maintenance and operation of the elevator in question.
According to the lawsuit, the victim’s injuries took place in January 2019 when she stepped into the elevator with her right foot as the machine continued to rise which caused her to lose her balance. Rescue officials said the victim was crushed between the 10th and 11th floors of the hospital. Officials with the hospital seemed to recognize the horror and trauma the victim suffered, noting she likely has a long road to recovery.
Local media have covered the accident extensively, reviewing safety records, state inspections, and other communications between the hospital administration and the elevator maintenance company contracted to keep the machine running safely. According to those reviews, the plaintiffs claim a history of maintenance and safety problems dating to at least 2015 and that the specific elevator had been out of service at least four times in the year leading up to the accident, including at least two weeks in the month prior to the plaintiff’s injury.
According to media reports, in 2017 elevator consulting firm Lerch Bates told JPS hospital the elevator in question needed updates to nearly every part of its operation but instead of making these repairs, the hospital chose to update two others. Additionally, a week before the victim’s injury took place the company responsible for maintaining the elevator, Thyssenkrupp, warned the hospital to stop working on and resetting elevators themselves.
In May of 2019, state inspectors found a lack of routine maintenance and equipment checks which led to a brake failure on the elevator. These allegations, if true, could constitute a serious liability on the part of JPS hospital and potentially expose the organization to legal repercussions.
When businesses and the companies contracted to maintain elevators on the property fail to perform regular maintenance and heed warnings about the machine’s performance, serious and life changing injuries can occur. When innocent victims are harmed because of a negligently maintained elevator, the law gives them the legal right to hold responsible parties liable in a court of law by filing elevator accident lawsuits. These types of civil claims can recover compensation for the victim’s financial damages such as lost wages while recovering from the injury, hospital bills, as well as the pain and suffering of undergoing the injury.
Nationwide Elevator Accident Attorneys
If you or a loved one were seriously hurt in an elevator or escalator accident because of someone else’s negligence, contact the Atlanta personal injury lawyers of Cash, Krugler & Fredericks for a free consultation about your case. Let our experienced injury attorneys handle your case while you and your family focus on healing and recovery.
