California Injury Lawyers Blog

A woman who works for Cal State Long Beach died yesterday when the elevator she was in malfunctioned, trapping her between two floors. As 48-year-old Annette Lujan tried to get out, the elevator, which weighs over 2000 pounds, moved, crushing her. The 48-year-old Huntington Beach woman was pronounced dead at the Los Angeles County injury accident site.Lujan was employed in the University Office of Research for Grants and Contracts.

Elevator Accidents
Elevator accidents can cause serious injuries, which is why an elevator should be properly maintained and free from any defects that might cause it to get stuck in between floors, suddenly and rapidly descend without warning, or have its doors open at the wrong moment.

Elevator entrapment can lead to asphyxiation, emotional trauma, and panic attacks. If your elevator suddenly goes into freefall, you may sustain physical injuries from the impact of landing. Walking into an open shaft that doesn't have an elevator to step into can be a traumatic and excruciating experience if one is lucky enough to survive.

Common causes of elevator accidents include:
• Mechanical malfunction
• Improper leveling that prevents the elevator from properly lining up with the floor
• Faulty wiring, which can cause accidental electrocution
• Wet floors that can lead to a Los Angeles slip and fall accident
• Inadequate repairs
• Failure to have the elevator undergo routine inspections and/or maintenance
• An elevator door defect
• Rider carelessness

The building owner where a defective elevator is located, the elevator manufacturer, or the maintenance company responsible for inspecting and keeping an elevator working are some of the parties that could be held liable for Los Angeles premises liability, personal injury, or product liability. An experienced Long Beach injury law firm can help you figure out what happened.

Also, if your elevator accident was work-related, you could be entitled to both California workers' compensation from your insurer and Los Angeles injury recovery from other responsible parties. If it was your loved one that was killed in the work accident, you may be entitled to wrongful death recovery and death benefits from the employer.

Elevator accidents kill about 27 people a year, while about 10,000 others are injured. Please call our Los Angeles personal injury law firm. Howard Law, PC would like to offer you a free consultation. Filing a Los Angeles wrongful death claim won't bring your loved one back but it can help you hold the responsible party liable while providing you with some financial relief.

Cal State Long Beach worker killed climbing from stuck elevator, Los Angeles Times, December 7, 2011

Woman dies in Calif. elevator accident, MSNBC, December 7, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Los Angeles Wrongful Death Claim Blames Metro for Man's Fatal Stabbing, California Injury Lawyers Blog, October 13, 2011

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa Authorities Investigate Orange County, California Death of Woman Struck in Her Car by Fallen Eucalyptus Tree, California Injury Lawyers Blog, September 20, 2011

Mentally Ill Homeless Man Beaten by Fullerton Police Died from Asphyxia, Reports Coroner, California Injury Lawyers Blog, September 21, 2011

Continue reading "Cal State Long Beach Employee Dies in Los Angeles, California Elevator Accident" »

A California jury has awarded worker Brian Richeson $10,717,498.39 for his Riverside County construction accident injuries. The 46-year-old fell 20-feet when he stepped on a plywood platform that wasn't secured in 2008. The defendant in the case was Tovey/Shultz Construction.

Richeson's injuries to his shoulder and back were so severe that he had to undergo multiple surgeries. He continues to experience weakness and chronic pain and suffers from partial paralysis and his doctors believe his condition will continue to grow worse. Because of the Riverside personal injury accident, Richeson can no longer work as a construction worker.

Because the jury found Richeson to be partly at fault, they reduced is verdict by 50%.

Construction Accident Falls
Construction accident falls are the cause of more than 300 deaths and many more injuries each year. Many falls could have been prevented if only the proper safety measures had been implemented. Common types of construction falls include roof falls, elevator shaft falls, falls through holes in the ground, scaffolding falls, ladder falls, and falls during a crane collapse.

Fall accidents can result in serious injuries that can virtually end a worker's career if not kill them. That's why there are federal and state safety regulations that need to be followed to minimize the risk of construction falls. Broken bones, head trauma, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and crush injuries can result during a fall.

Unfortunately, working at a construction site is a dangerous business, which is why safety measures must be followed. General contractors and subcontractors are legally obligated to provide workers with a reasonably safe construction site. This includes the set up of safe working conditions while ensuring that the proper protocols and procedures are followed and the correct safety equipment and protection gear are being used.

Although a worker cannot sue his/her employer--California workers' compensation law mandates employers pay work injury benefits and disability and death benefits in the event of a work accident or fatality--there may be third parties that can/should be held liable, such as a subcontractor, a contractor, the owner of the construction site, architects, engineers, the construction manager, or the manufacturer of a defective crane or another piece of construction equipment that failed, that played a role in the injury accident.

If you or someone you love was seriouslt injured in a Riverside County construction accident, there is no reason why you shouldn't receive both your California workers' compensation benefits and personal injury benefits from all liable third parties.

Construction Accidents, Justia

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Preventing Construction Falls, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

More Blog Posts:
Huntington Beach Construction Worker Dies in Trench Collapse, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 27, 2009

Toddler Attending Los Angeles Lakers Game Dies After Falling 50 Feet from Staples Center Luxury Seats, California Injury Lawyers Blog, November 22, 2010

Rancho Santa Margarita Plant Explosion Kills Two Workers and Injures Two Others, California Injury Lawyers Blog, April 3, 2009

Continue reading "Rancho Santa Margarita Plant Explosion Kills Two Workers and Injures Two Others" »