West Virginia Woman Wins $375,000 in Escalator Injury Lawsuit
A West Virginia woman recently secured justice after she was able to reach a settlement in her escalator injury lawsuit with a Virginia business that had fiercely contested liability in the case, hiring several experts to avoid responsibility. As part of the settlement, the business will pay the plaintiff a total of $375,000 in medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The two sides were able to reach the agreement with the help of a third-party mediator.
The injury took place in Richmond, Virginia where the plaintiff was visiting on business. In her claim, the plaintiff alleged that the suitcase she was carrying on the escalator became caught in a nail protruding from the side of the escalator. As a result, the women, who was gripping her luggage, fell down the escalator, suffering a rotator cuff injury to her left shoulder.
The defendant in the case vigorously contested liability for the victim’s injuries, arguing in court filings that it would be impossible for the plaintiff’s suitcase to become entangled in the escalator and that the accident was instead caused by the woman losing her balance while adjusting the suitcase. Further complicating the case was the plaintiff neglecting to receive immediate medical attention after the injury. Instead, it was reported that she continued on her business trip and did not receive medical care until she arrived home in West Virginia.
Fortunately for the victim, her medical bills and lost wages were covered by her employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage since the accident took place during her business trip. While the victim in this case was able to offset her financial losses with this insurance coverage, many escalator accident victims are not so fortunate and are often left with huge medical bills while out of work recovering from their injuries.
As is common in many escalator accident lawsuits, defendants often attempt to skirt their legal responsibility to compensate injury victims when defectively designed, manufactured, or maintained escalators cause serious injuries. However, once maintenance records are reviewed and investigations completed into the design and manufacturing of escalators, defects that defendants knew or should have known about are brought to light.
Some of the most common escalator accident injuries are lacerations, broken bones, and torn ligaments. In some extreme cases, victims may even lose limbs or extremities if medical treatment is not provided in time. By filing a claim for compensation, victims can recover vital funds for medical bills, future health care expenses, lost wages during the recovery process, and the pain and suffering of living through the accident.
Georgia Escalator Injury Attorneys
If you or a loved one were seriously hurt in an accident because of someone else’s willful or negligent conduct, contact the experienced team at Cash, Krugler & Fredericks, LLC. Your initial consultation is always free and you pay no attorney’s fee unless we successfully resolve your case.
