Fatal escalator accidents raise concerns about escalator safety

A 20-year-old Tennessee fan was killed after he fell over an escalator railing in the Georgia Dome. Another fan fell five stories to his death at the Texas-Vikings game in Houston last week. Police suspect both fans had consumed alcohol before falling.

Escalator accidents are becoming more common in today’s fast-paced world. Falls are the leading cause of escalator-related deaths and injuries in the U.S. Even with user misuse, falls can be caused by a defect in the escalator’s design. For example, an escalator may be defective if the designed railing is not high enough to keep riders secure.

A victim of an escalator accident may have a products liability claim if the accident involves a design defect. A design defect is legally defined as a product design that is unreasonably dangerous when used during its reasonably anticipated use. Although user misuse may preclude recovery under a design defect theory of products liability, courts still consider many misuses to be foreseeable to a manufacturer.

Often many actors contribute to the cause of an escalator accident, including the building owner and escalator manufacturer. After suffering an injury, a lawyer will investigate the cause accident and work to hold all responsible parties legally accountable for your injury or loss. For a complimentary consultation, contact Broussard, David & Moroux at 888-337-2323(toll-free) or 337-337-2323 (local).