Elevator accident death linked to disabled safety device

A report was recently released regarding the wrongful death of a New York advertising executive who died in an elevator accident this winter. The woman was crushed to death while trying to take the elevator to her midtown Manhattan office on December 14. The accident devastated the woman’s family and traumatized the two bystanders in the elevator who could do nothing to help the woman.

The accident occurred as the woman was walking into the elevator. She was caught between the car and the wall and the elevator got stuck between the first and second floors. An investigation into this accident revealed that someone disabled a vital safety mechanism that could have possibly saved the woman’s life.

“The investigation starkly showed elevator safety protocols were ignored,” a city inspector said in a statement.

The safety mechanism would have prevented the elevator from moving while its doors were open, thereby averting this tragic accident. The elevator repair company linked to this accident says it plans on disputing the city inspector’s report and fighting moves to revoke its co-owner’s license.

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said that the repairman failed to put caution tape over the elevator doors and improperly allowed this elevator to go into service without clearance.

“These workers and their supervisors failed to follow the most basic safety procedures, and their carelessness cost a woman her life,” LiMandri said. “If these safety measures were in place, this tragedy would have been prevented.”

Source: CBS, “Report: Safety device was disabled on NYC elevator,” Feb. 28, 2012