Orlando Escalator Accident Injury Attorneys

Escalators are commonplace in many commercial establishments throughout Orlando, including hotels, business offices, and amusement parks. We typically use them without ever thinking about how they work or the possible risks involved.

Thankfully, most of us make it safely to the next floor without incident. However, not everyone is so fortunate. When an escalator accident does occur, it can cause serious injuries that can change your life forever. If you or a family member has been injured in an Orlando escalator accident, you know how devastating the injury can be.

The personal injury attorneys at Bailey Fisher understand how an escalator accident can change the lives of victims and their families and want to help you recover as fully as possible. We are committed to obtaining justice for people injured due to others’ negligence and will fight for your right to compensation for the physical and emotional injuries you have suffered.

What Causes Escalator Accidents?

Escalators are complicated machines that involve numerous moving parts. We often use them on a daily basis without considering how dangerous they can be. It is daunting to realize that incidents involving elevators and escalators kill about 30 and seriously injure about 17,000 people each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Like elevators, escalators must be properly installed and routinely maintained to operate safely. When an escalator is installed improperly or is not inspected and repaired in a timely manner, it can malfunction, causing serious injuries to the passengers. Common causes of escalator accidents include:

Sudden unanticipated stops
Unintended speeding up or jerking
Overheating causing the belts to burn or break
Slippery steps on an outdoor escalator because of water or other liquids
Fingers or toes being caught in an escalator comb plate or between the moving step and the side panel at a shear point
Clothing or other items getting caught in an escalator
Gaps in the grated metal stairs causing a passenger to trip and fall
Broken handrails that cause a passenger to lose balance

Common Escalator Accident Injuries

Because an escalator is essentially a vertical conveyor belt, the risk of serious injury exists when something goes wrong. Some common escalator accident injuries include:

Fractures and broken bones from trips or falls
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) if a victim falls down the escalator
Burn injuries caused by friction or ignition of flammable lubricants
Loss of fingertips or toes that get crushed
Serious emotional trauma (including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD) from being trapped on a malfunctioning escalator

Who Is Liable for Injuries Caused by an Orlando Escalator Accident?

If you are injured in an escalator accident, you may be entitled to compensation under the legal doctrine known as “premises liability.” Premises liability falls under the larger legal umbrella known as “torts,” which allow victims to recover monetary damages for injuries to their person or property.

Premises liability divides injured victims into three categories: invitees, uninvited licensees, and trespassers. The highest duty of care applies when the victim is an invitee, defined as someone who was lawfully on the property at the express or implied invitation of the owner to conduct business of some sort. If you were riding an escalator at a commercial establishment, such as a hotel or amusement park, you would be classified as an invitee.

The duty a property owner owes to an invitee requires the owner to keep the property in a reasonably safe condition and either repair or provide notice of any known dangers on the premises. The owner may also be held liable for dangerous conditions that they should have known about by reasonable inspection. This means that even if the property owner did not know about a malfunctioning escalator, they could still be responsible for injuries caused by the escalator.

In addition to the property owner, the escalator maintenance company that the owner has contracted with to maintain the escalator in good working order may also bear legal responsibility if the escalator malfunctions because of lack of proper inspection and maintenance.

What Compensation Can Orlando Escalator Accident Victims Receive?

If you or a loved has been seriously injured in an Orlando escalator accident caused by a property owner’s negligence, you may be able to obtain substantial financial compensation for the injuries you have suffered. These injuries may include:

Medical expenses – current and potential future expenses
Lost income and diminished earning capacity
Mental anguish and suffering
Loss of capacity to enjoy life
Other damages recoverable under Florida law

The experienced Orlando premises liability attorneys of Bailey Fisher welcome the opportunity to pursue justice on your behalf. We will determine the full compensation to which you are entitled and initiate a strong premises liability action on your behalf to achieve the desired outcome.

Get Help from Experienced Orlando Escalator Accident Attorneys

The premises liability attorneys at Bailey Fisher Law have seen first-hand how escalator accidents can physically and emotionally impact injury victims and their families and want to help you get compensated fairly for your injuries. We have extensive experience helping injured victims throughout the Orlando area receive the compensation they deserve for physical and emotional damages caused by others’ negligence and will put that experience to work for you.

We can’t turn back the clock and prevent the injuries you suffered; however, if you were injured in an Orlando escalator accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages for the physical injuries and psychological trauma you suffered. Our premises liability attorneys are committed to helping victims of escalator accidents by identifying the responsible parties and ensuring that they are held accountable. Moreover, we are dedicated to aggressively pursuing compensation on behalf of victims injured in an escalator accident.

Call us at 407-628-2929 or submit our online form today. One of our experienced Orlando premises liability attorneys will evaluate your case for free. For viable cases, we will follow up with the necessary legal action to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence and recover the financial compensation you deserve for your pain, suffering, and losses.