Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog
As we enter the final holiday season shopping rush, customers and employees are at increased risk of Boston elevator accidents or escalator accidents. Poor maintenance, large crowds, aging equipment, wet or slippery flooring and injuries caused by other passengers are the leading causes of such accidents.
Children and the elderly are most at risk. As we reported earlier this year on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, accidents on MBTA property may also cause such injury. In July, a child was seriously injured after getting his shoe caught in an escalator at an MBTA station while visiting Boston with family.
Each year, the Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 30 people are killed and 17,000 are seriously injured in elevator and escalator accidents.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission offers the following safety tips:
-Secure loose clothing. Shoe laces, drawstrings, scarves and mittens may be trapped in escalators.
-Hold a child’s hand and do not permit children to sit on steps and play on walls or railings.
-Do not bring carts or strollers onto escalators.
-Always face forward and utilize hand rails.
-Avoid the edges, where entrapment most frequently occurs.
-Know where the shutoff is located in case of emergency.
Industry safety standards require a number of safety features, including:
-An emergency shutoff located at the top and bottom.
-Sidewalls made of low-friction material.
-Use of skirt obstruction devices, which shut off the system if foreign objects are present.
-Clearance of no more than 3/16ths of an inch at the edges.
-Warning signs regarding the danger to children.
-Brightly colored foot prints or borders on each step.
If you are injured in an elevator or escalator accident in Massachusetts, contact Boston Injury Lawyer Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.