What Happened?
In February 2017, Mary got into an apartment building elevator where she was visiting a patient for work. Once the elevator reached the lobby level and stopped, she stepped out of the elevator, which unfortunately was not level with the ground as one would expect. The elevator had stopped lower than the ground floor and was uneven with the landing. As Mary walked out, she tripped and fell forward onto the ground, landing primarily on the left side of her body. An ambulance came to the scene and took her to a nearby hospital, where she was treated, evaluated, and discharged home.
As a result of the fall, Mary suffered injuries to her left knee, left ankle, left shoulder, and back. She experienced left knee pain and swelling, left ankle pain when using the stairs, left shoulder pain, and back pain. Several months after the accident, her condition continued to get worse while she received physical therapy a few times a week. Due to the pain, Mary had difficulty finding a comfortable position, difficulty walking without a cane, could not clean, and could not raise her left arm. After conservative treatment failed, she underwent multiple pain management injections and three surgeries: left knee surgery in 2018, left shoulder surgery in 2018, and another left shoulder surgery in 2019. She was reported to be 100% disabled and could not work in any capacity, ultimately losing her job certification due to her absence from work.
Mary’s NYC Elevator Trip and Fall Lawyer
Thankfully, Mary’s friend recommended her to The Case Handler team. A week after her accident, we got in contact with Mary and got to work! Our investigation revealed that this specific elevator was inherently unreliable and is no longer permitted in new installations. There was also a history of entrapment and misleveling with this elevator. Even the elevator maintenance company had warned the building owner/management about this elevator for several years before the accident. The elevator company made various proposals to update the elevator, but all proposals were rejected.
The defendant extended NO offers to compensate Mary for over four years. While they refused to do anything, The Case Handler team did everything we could for Mary’s case while she was on the long road to recovery. We retrieved video recording of Mary’s actual fall on the premises and built her case in preparation for trial. To avoid going to trial, the defendant agreed to our demand at mediation. Our NYC elevator trip and fall lawyer helped Mary recover a $725,000 settlement!
