If an escalator has not been properly maintained, its owner or maintenance team could be liable for injuries from falls from it under premise liability. When a problem that caused a fall is related to a design or manufacturing flaw, the escalator’s manufacturer could be held liable under product liability law.
Proving Premises Liability in Las Vegas
Injured victims may be able to receive compensation when premises liability is proven, and they are not faulted for their own injuries. However, because of Nevada’s comparative negligence laws, if a fall victim is found to be more than 50 percent responsible for their injuries, they cannot recover compensation for their damages. A Las Vegas slip and fall lawyer can help injured victims make their case for proving premise or product liability to fight for the compensation they are due.
Why Are Escalators So Dangerous?
In the United States, there are more than 10,000 injuries related to escalator use each year. These injuries include injuries caused by slips and falls. There are many things that go wrong with an escalator, including sudden stops and starts that can make it easy for riders to lose their balance and fall. It is even possible for riders to fall over the side of an escalator if its sidewalls are not high enough. Broken or missing steps and stalled escalators being used as stairs can also cause falls.
Falls from escalators can cause:
- Bruises and lacerations
- Scars
- Bone fractures
- Spinal injuries
- Head injuries
- Internal bleeding and damage to organs
It is also possible for escalator falls to cause permanent paralysis or death to a victim.
Las Vegas, Land of Casinos and Elaborate Escalators
Escalators are found in casinos and throughout Las Vegas to alleviate pedestrian traffic. The city is no stranger to escalator accidents. Most recently an escalator malfunction in a major casino caused injuries to 12 people who were treated at a hospital in November 2019. Casinos are frequently cited for violations by county building inspectors for various issues that threaten the safety of guests.
Just like many of the casinos in Las Vegas, some escalators are designed to entertain riders with their flashiness and design. For example, one casino’s escalator features multiple LED screens that flash graphics as visitors travel up and down. Such features are distracting or disorienting to riders. Another escalator basically rivals an amusement park ride as riders descend a steep spiral.
