Escalator and Elevator Injury Attorney in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Elevator & Escalator Accident Lawyers with a Proven Record

For more than 50 years, Cohen & Marzban has recovered over $2 billion for injured Californians, and our attorneys bring that same firepower to every conveyance injury claim. A malfunctioning lift or escalator is rarely a simple slip and fall. It involves engineering records, inspection permits, maintenance logs, and a web of potentially responsible companies.

Our elevator accident attorneys in Los Angeles act fast to lock down that evidence before it disappears and to hold every negligent party accountable. Backed by the Litigator Award, an honor reserved for the top 1% of trial lawyers in the country, we are prepared to take your case to court when insurers refuse to pay what your injuries are truly worth.

Contact our escalator and elevator injury attorneys in Los Angeles today for a free, no-obligation review of your case.

Why California Treats Elevators and Escalators as "Common Carriers"

Elevator and escalator claims are governed by a stricter legal standard than most riders realize, which is exactly why you want an attorney who understands it. Under California Civil Code §§ 2100–2101, the operator of a passenger elevator, and in most cases an escalator, is treated as a "common carrier," the same category as buses, trains, and airlines. That classification imposes a duty of "utmost care and diligence" rather than ordinary reasonable care.

Two consequences make this standard powerful for injured passengers:

• A higher duty of care. The property or building operator must do everything that care, vigilance, and foresight can reasonably accomplish to keep riders safe, so even slight carelessness can establish liability, but a carrier isn't a total insurer of passenger safety. The injured person still has to prove the legal elements of negligence.
• A non-delegable duty. An owner cannot dodge responsibility by pointing to an outside service company. Hiring a contractor to maintain the equipment is not a defense.

Passenger elevators in California also operate under Cal/OSHA permits and must comply with California's Elevator Safety Orders, which incorporate ASME A17.1 standards and are enforced under Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations. When an operator ignores those obligations, our attorneys use that failure to strengthen your claim.

Elevator and Escalator Accident Statistics

Elevators and escalators carry enormous numbers of riders every day, and when they fail, the harm can be severe. Federal injury-surveillance data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), analyzed by the Center for Construction Research and Training, show that elevator and escalator-related emergency department injuries rose more than 30%, from about 19,000 in 2007 to nearly 25,000 in 2017.

More recent NEISS analyses indicate that the count has continued to climb as ridership grows. Elevators cause the majority of the most serious harm, accounting for roughly 90% of deaths and about 60% of serious injuries, according to NIOSH.

Escalator injuries follow their own pattern. Falls are consistently the leading cause, followed by entrapment at the comb plate or between the moving steps and the side skirt. A 2024 analysis of NEISS data found escalator injuries rising faster than elevator injuries, with older adults and children under 10 facing the greatest risk. These are rarely freak accidents. They are often the predictable result of skipped inspections, worn parts, and deferred maintenance, and our Los Angeles escalator injury attorneys know how to prove it.

The Hidden Dangers of Elevators and Escalators

While we rely on elevators and escalators daily, we often overlook their potential dangers when not properly designed or maintained. These conveyances are complex mechanical systems; when they fail, the consequences can be severe. The most common accidents our attorneys see include:

These accidents often result from design flaws, manufacturing defects, or careless maintenance, which is why holding the responsible parties accountable matters.

Common Injuries in Elevator and Escalator Accidents

Elevator and escalator accidents can cause an array of debilitating injuries due to falls, crushing forces, and sudden impacts. Our team regularly represents elevator and escalator accident victims suffering from:

• Traumatic brain injuries: TBIs, which can range from concussions to severe brain damage, can result from impacts to the head.
• Spinal cord injuries: Falls or collisions with moving parts can damage the spinal cord, potentially leading to paralysis, loss of sensation, and chronic pain.
• Broken bones and fractures: The forces involved in these accidents are often enough to fracture the arms, legs, ribs, and other bones.
• Lacerations and soft tissue injuries: Cuts, bruises, sprains, and strains are frequent outcomes, often requiring extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
• Amputations: In extreme cases, especially those involving entrapment in escalator mechanisms, amputations of fingers, toes, or larger appendages are possible.
• Back injuries: Sudden drops, jolts, and falls can herniate discs and damage the vertebrae, causing chronic pain and limited mobility that may require surgery.
• Neck injuries: Whiplash and other neck trauma are common when a rider is thrown by an abrupt stop or fall, sometimes leading to lasting stiffness and nerve pain.
• Nerve damage: Crushing forces and deep lacerations can injure the nerves, producing numbness, weakness, tingling, or permanent loss of function in the affected area.
• Wrongful death: The most catastrophic elevator and escalator accidents, such as shaft falls, free-falling cars, or severe entrapment, can be fatal, leaving surviving family members to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Seek medical attention promptly after any of these injuries; early records also help protect your claim.

How an Elevator or Escalator Accident Claim Works

Building a strong conveyance injury case takes fast, methodical work, and knowing the road ahead helps you protect your rights from day one. Here is how our attorneys typically approach a claim:

• Get medical care and documentation. Prompt treatment protects your health and creates the records that connect your injuries to the accident.
• Preserve the scene and the evidence. Photographs, the incident report, witness details, and the make and ID of the equipment can vanish within days.
• Secure the maintenance trail. We request inspection certificates, service logs, repair histories, and Cal/OSHA permit records.
• Bring in the right experts. These cases turn on technical proof, so we work with engineers and safety consultants to pinpoint the defect or failure.
• Identify every liable party. We name the property owner, maintenance company, manufacturer, and anyone else whose negligence played a role.
• Handle the insurers. We deal with the adjusters and their lawyers so you can focus on healing, and we prepare each case as if it is going to trial.

Who Is Liable for an Elevator or Escalator Accident?

Determining liability for an injury involving a defective elevator or escalator can be complicated. Responsibility often falls on multiple parties whose negligence may have contributed to the incident. Our elevator accident lawyers investigate each of the following.

Property Owners and Managers

Property owners and managers have a legal duty to ensure the safe operation of elevators, escalators, and other features on their premises. Cursory maintenance, inadequate inspections, and failure to address known hazards can all cause visitors to become hurt.

Manufacturers

If a flaw in the elevator or escalator's design or construction contributed to the accident, the manufacturer may be liable. This applies to defects in parts, safety mechanisms, and installation.

Maintenance Companies

The companies responsible for servicing and repairing elevators and escalators can also be at fault if their negligence contributed to the accident. Examples of such negligence include improper repairs, failure to identify defects, and inadequate maintenance.

Public Entities and Transit Agencies

When an escalator or elevator inside a Metro station, courthouse, or other government building fails, a public entity may share liability. These claims carry much shorter deadlines, so contact our team quickly to protect your rights.

Compensation Available in an Elevator or Escalator Accident Claim

The value of your case depends on the severity of your injuries and how they reshape your life, and our attorneys pursue the full range of damages the law allows. Recoverable compensation generally falls into two categories.

Economic Damages

These reimburse the measurable financial losses caused by the accident, including:

• Medical bills: Emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, therapy, and future care.
• Lost income: Wages missed during recovery and reduced earning capacity if you cannot return to the same work.
• Out-of-pocket costs: Assistive devices, home modifications, and transportation to appointments.

Non-Economic Damages

These account for the personal harm no receipt can capture, such as:

• Physical pain and ongoing discomfort
• Emotional distress, anxiety, and disrupted sleep
• Diminished quality of life and the inability to enjoy former activities

When a defective or poorly maintained elevator or escalator causes a death, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim for funeral costs, lost support, and loss of companionship. Where clear and convincing evidence shows malice or conscious disregard for safety, punitive damages may also be available.