The who, what, where, when and why’s of an escalator accident
On Behalf of The Law Offices of Goldfine & Bowles, P.C.
July 1, 2013
An escalator accident occurred in Duluth, Minnesota, this past week that left 4 children and 1 adult seeking treatment for injuries at a local hospital. It occurred this past Wednesday when the children were being escorted through a downtown building when they became trapped on the escalator with a total of 20 people.
Many of our readers may have sympathy for those in this story, but they may also be thinking “I live in Illinois, why do I care about an escalator accident that occurred in northern Minnesota?” Besides the obvious “this could happen anywhere” argument, the incident also shows the need not only for a personal injury attorney but one who has experience and will devote attention to your case.
Why is this case so “complicated” when it only involves a few injuries on an escalator? We’ll simply present a couple more of the limited facts and think of only a few questions that could be asked in a premises liability lawsuit in Illinois. The answers to these questions matter not only to maximize a compensation award, but to prove liability and even know who to include in the lawsuit in the first place.
The incident occurred on an escalator. Where was the escalator? Was it located in a shared space or a solely-owned facility? Was there something wrong with the escalator that contributed to the accident? Was it recently maintained? Did the maintenance professional make a mistake? Were there any displays that got in the way of safe exit?
The incident left children under daycare supervision injured. How many children were there? How many daycare providers acted as escorts? Did the parents know about the “field trip”? Did they give their permission? Was there any safety procedures in place? Did the daycare providers follow these rules?
These are only the tip of the iceberg in the considerations that need to be made in a simple or even complex liability lawsuit.
Source: Star Tribune, “4 children, 1 adult taken to hospital after escalator accident in Duluth,” June 27, 2013