Elevator Accident Lawyer in Chicago

Q: What are common causes of elevator accidents?

Elevator accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, including improper leveling (not lining up with the floor), door entrapment, sudden acceleration or deceleration, poor maintenance, malfunctioning doors, elevator cables snapping, safety device failure, and falls resulting from an exposed elevator shaft.

Q: Who may be liable for an elevator accident in Cook County?

Liability can depend on the cause of the accident. If the accident was due to poor maintenance, the party responsible for maintaining the elevator may be liable. If the elevator malfunctioned due to a design or manufacturing defect, the manufacturer could be held liable through a products liability claim. In many cases, the property owner may also be liable because Illinois property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in reasonably safe conditions, including ensuring elevators are in safe working order.

Q: How do you prove negligence in an elevator accident lawsuit?

Most elevator accident lawsuits are rooted in negligence. To establish negligence, the plaintiff must show that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care, the defendant breached that duty, and the plaintiff suffered injuries as a direct result of the defendant’s breach.

Q: What compensation can elevator accident victims seek in Illinois?

Victims of elevator accidents can seek compensation for medical expenses (past, present and future), lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs, and other losses stemming from the accident.

Q: Can you seek wrongful death damages after a fatal elevator accident?

If you have lost a loved one in an elevator accident, you may be able to seek wrongful death damages through a wrongful death claim. These damages typically include medical expenses prior to death, funeral and burial costs, loss of companionship, and more.

Chicago Elevator Accident Lawyer

Elevator and escalator accident victims across Chicago — from the high-rise buildings of the Loop and River North to the apartments, hotels, and commercial properties of the North Side, South Side, and across Cook County — trust Choose Charlie to hold negligent building owners, property managers, and maintenance companies accountable, pursuing maximum compensation for every injured client. Free consultations. No fee unless we win.

Injury Lawyers Helping Victims in the Chicago Area

Elevator Injuries | Schaumburg Accident Lawyers Therman Law Offices

Many people in Illinois and throughout the United States use elevators on a daily basis without incident. When something goes wrong, however, the results can be devastating. If you have been injured in an elevator accident in Cook County, you may be able to recover compensation. At Therman Law Offices, our highly skilled Chicago elevator injury lawyers can help you navigate the legal process. With more than thirty-five years of combined experience, we are committed to getting our Cook County clients full and fair financial recovery for their harm.

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Seeking Compensation After an Elevator Accident

The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that about 17,000 individuals are injured and 30 people die in accidents involving elevators or escalators every year. Elevator accidents can take place for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: improper leveling that keeps the elevator from lining up properly with the floor, door entrapment, sudden acceleration or deceleration, poor maintenance, malfunctioning doors, elevator cables snapping, safety device failure and falls resulting from an exposed elevator shaft.

If you have been injured in an elevator accident, a number of parties may be liable. For example, if the cause of the accident was poor maintenance then the party responsible for maintaining the elevator may be liable.

If the elevator malfunctioned due to a design or manufacturing defect, the manufacturer could be held liable through a products liability claim. In many cases, the property owner may be liable for the elevator accident.

Illinois property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in reasonably safe conditions so people who ride the elevator are not hurt in preventable accidents. The duty extends to making sure that elevators are in safe working order. An elevator injury lawyer can help Chicago residents hold a property owner accountable for violating this duty.

Most elevator accident lawsuits are rooted in the theory of negligence. Put another way, determining fault depends on whether or not the defendant acted negligently. A party is negligent when he or she causes injury by failing to use the level of prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same or similar circumstances.

In order to establish negligence, the plaintiff must show the following: the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care; the defendant breached the duty of care owed to the plaintiff; and the plaintiff suffered injuries as a direct result of the defendant’s breach.

In Illinois, as in other places, victims of elevator accidents can seek compensation for medical expenses (past, present and future), lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs and any other losses stemming from the accident. In the event that you have lost a loved one in an elevator accident, you may be able to seek wrongful death damages through a wrongful death claim. These damages typically include medical expenses prior to death, funeral and burial costs, loss of companionship and more.

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