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Escalators can be very dangerous, especially to children and the elderly, who are often less steady on their feet. As an escalator moves people at a speed or about one to two feet per minute. This can result in very serious injuries if something goes wrong with the escalator.
Injuries to people in Washington, DC on escalators are fifteen times more frequent than injuries to people taking a DC elevator. These injuries are more common because escalators are not closed, keeping a person safe while they are being moved to another floor level.
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The skilled DC escalator accident lawyers at Regan Zambri Long provide free, no-obligation legal review of your escalator accident. If you would like us to assess your case, answer your questions, and discuss your legal options, contact us using our online form or call our office directly at (202) 960-4596 for a free consultation.
While money is no replacement for the losses that a serious injury can cause, it allows victims to move forward. Because getting the money you deserve can be complex, the skilled team of Washington DC escalator accident attorneys of Regan Zambri Long is here to help you every step of the way. We work zealously to recover millions of dollars for our clients, obtaining some of the largest settlements and verdicts in DC history.
Escalators are designed in a way that can easily entangle a person who stumbles or falls. The passenger’s fingers or a child’s arm can become tangled with the mechanics of the escalator because the mechanics are not closed like an elevator.
Common Causes of escalator accidents include:
In some types of falls, the property owner and the designing architect are to blame for your injury. If you suffered an accident as a result of an escalator design defect, such as a fall between the side of the escalator and a wall, the designing architect could be held responsible for failing to design adequate safety mechanisms.
Escalator accident cases are often premises liability cases. Premises liability means that the person who owns the property is responsible because they were at fault. This is usually because they did something that was reckless, or did not do something they should have done. When the property owner does not take care of the property, he is negligent.
Under premises liability law, property owners have a duty of care to you when you are lawfully on their property. You have a reasonable expectation of safety. Owners must use reasonable care to make sure the premises are not dangerous. This means property owners must warn you about unsafe conditions.
When they neglect this duty, you could be at risk for serious injuries. In many cases, the accidents and injuries that result from property owner negligence are preventable. When they are, the owner may be held liable if you are injured on their property.
Since the property owner is responsible for maintaining the escalator and ensuring it is functioning safely, they can be liable if an accident occurs. If a property owner knows an escalator is malfunctioning or dangerous but doesn’t fix it or warn people about its condition, they can be held responsible for damages.
If poor conditions on someone else’s property caused your accident, then you may be able to collect compensation for your medical bills and other damages through a premises liability claim.
Filing a successful premises liability lawsuit can be challenging. If property owners do not preserve evidence, it can make proving your case very difficult. A DC premises liability lawyer from Regan Zambri Long can investigate your accident and take steps to preserve valuable evidence.
When assessing a premises liability case, a court will determine what the property owner should have done to prevent the escalator accident. If the property owner did not act like a reasonable owner, then he may be liable for the injuries.
Under product liability law, manufacturers have a legal obligation to ensure their products are safe to use before they are sold and installed. They must thoroughly test and examine their products, including escalators, for any dangerous problems before they are used by consumers. If an item is defective or unreasonably dangerous, then it can cause serious injuries or death. Even a small flaw in the manufacture or design of escalators can cause irreversible injury.
Some escalator accidents are caused by poorly manufactured escalators. In these instances, the manufacturer may be liable.
If you or a loved one suffered harm from a defective escalator, then you may be able to file a claim for compensation against the manufacturer under product liability law.
If you or your family member needed medical attention at a hospital in Washington D.C., an experienced personal injury attorney can help you get the money you need for lost wages, physical therapy, medical care, or even home renovations to accommodate your injuries. Many injuries caused by personal injury incidents require expensive long-term care. A Washington, DC injury lawyer can determine what your injuries are worth and explain how to pursue compensation in court.
If your loved one died as a result of an accident or incident, the personal injury attorneys at Regan Zambri Long can provide legal advice and explain how to pursue your claim.
When you are injured in an escalator accident, you may not be able to work, or you may not be able to work as much as you did before the accident. This may be temporary while you recover from your injuries, or it may be a permanent disability. Either way, you could have the right to financial compensation from the at-fault party for your lost wages, future lost wages, vacation or sick days, employee benefit contributions, missed promotions, and more.
The experienced Washington, DC escalator accident attorneys at Regan Zambri Long can help you understand your rights.
If the at-fault party’s insurance company is giving you a hard time or has offered you a settlement amount too low to cover your expenses for medical services, your lost wages, and other losses, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer to negotiate for you.
The most common injuries occur when a body part is caught in a moving part of the escalator, or when the escalator stops suddenly, causing passengers to lose their balance and fall. Injuries include:
The answer is likely yes, particularly if you have serious injuries or large medical bills. In order to ensure the responsible party is held liable, you must prove they caused your injuries by negligent actions. This could be improper maintenance, premises liability, or product liability.
A Washington, DC escalator accidents attorney can work to collect evidence of negligence to show the party caused your injuries. Your attorney will negotiate to obtain compensation for your losses, and advocate for safety changes so that others do not suffer the same type of fall accidents and injuries in the future. Your lawyer will also talk directly with insurance companies, witnesses, other lawyers, and judges so you can focus on getting back to normal life.
For cases involving escalator accidents, you must file your case in court within three years from the date of your accident. This period of time is called the statute of limitations. If you delay more than three years to pursue your case, you will not be able to file a case in court and you will not be able to receive compensation. Because of the three-year statute of limitations, the sooner you contact a Washington, DC lawyer experienced in handling accidents and injuries involving escalators the more effectively your case can be resolved.
Typically, your attorney will investigate the accident that injured you and gather as much information as possible. Your legal team will review accident reports and medical documents, and interview witnesses to the accident. Your injury attorney will also conduct a financial analysis.
If the person responsible for your injury has insurance, your attorney may contact the insurance company to seek an offer of settlement. If a settlement offer is made, your attorney will review the offer with you so you can decide whether to accept it or not. If you do not accept the settlement offer, your attorney will continue to negotiate with the insurance company or will pursue your case in court by filing a lawsuit.
A lawsuit begins by filing a document called a complaint that outlines what happened to the victim and how the liable party caused the injuries. The complaint refers to the responsible party as the defendant and refers to you, the injured party, as the plaintiff.
The plaintiff and defendant, as well as witnesses to the accident, will be interviewed by the lawyers. In addition, an expert witness may provide information based upon his specialized knowledge about what he believes caused the injuries.
Many personal injury cases result in a settlement agreement rather than a verdict at trial. Settlement is possible at any point before, during, or even after trial. If a settlement is not reached, both sides prepare for and participate in a trial.
When you or a loved one are injured in Washington, DC because of negligence, you want to make sure the responsible people are held liable and compensate you for your losses.
The accomplished lawyers of Regan Zambri Long have over 100 years of collective experience representing clients injured in accidents. We are respected throughout DC by judges, lawyers, hospitals, doctors’ offices, and insurance companies for our ethical representation of clients. Our skilled attorneys are able to help victims throughout Washington DC receive the compensation they deserve to cover medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The lawyers of Regan Zambri Long are passionate about helping victims put their lives back together. We have received many awards and much recognition for our extensive personal injury negotiation and trial experience. Based on our decades of experience and expertise, our attorneys have been named as some of the best lawyers in the country.
Regan Zambri Long attorneys have received the following accolades, just to name a few:
When you or a loved one are injured in a DC escalator or elevator accident, you may have mounting medical bills and lost wages. Because of these challenges, we understand how difficult it is to carry on with normal life, both emotionally and financially, after an accident.
That’s why the attorneys at Regan Zambri Long work for clients on a contingency fee basis. This means that once we establish an attorney-client relationship, no attorney fees are charged to you until we recover funds on your behalf.
If you have suffered a personal injury in Washington, DC, the experienced attorneys of Regan Zambri Long can help you understand your legal rights. If you have questions about whether you are entitled to compensation for your injuries, contact us at (202) 960-4596 to receive a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options.
