Lifts are one of the common phobias that people have. Some people don’t think twice before entering a lift but other people do have a genuine fear of them. While in the most part lifts have proved to be safe and necessary, they have also been the cause of accidents resulting in serious injury and even death. I would argue that lifts are perfectly safe providing they are regularly checked and maintained by suitably qualified and experienced engineers. A simple internet search will give you examples of injury and death caused by lift accidents.
We all probably accept that lifts are necessary, especially for disabled persons or people with a trolley or pram. However I do think they fuel laziness in some people. Personally I would always choose to walk up a flight of stairs unless I had a pram with me. However I can understand using a lift if you are required to go up multiple flights of stairs, in a hospital for example. I don’t agree with taking the lift purely out of laziness but that is just me. I feel that lifts should only be used by people who need to use them.
It is said that many lift accidents are very minor and probably go unreported. This is somewhat concerning as if the lift has a fault it needs reporting in order to avoid something drastic going wrong. Accidents like trips, bumps and pinched fingers may go unreported if no real injury is sustained. Lifts should be maintained and checked regularly. Obviously if you think of lifts in major supermarkets and shopping centres, there is a large volume of people using the lift all the time. There is bound to be some general wear and tear and maintenance really is key to avoiding lift problems and potentially serious injury.
Since 1997 lifts in Europe are governed by the Mechanical Engineering Directive 95/16/EC on lifts. The Directive covers a wide range of things including lighting in the lift and back-up safety measures should persons become stuck in a lift. Lifts must conform to the Directive before going into operation. I recall getting stuck in a lift as a child, on one particular occasion. I was not on my own but I still think it had a psychological effect on me. I probably avoided lifts for a while.
So if you have been injured in a lift accident you may be entitled to claim compensation. Do not hesitate to contact The Injury Lawyers today. We can assess your claim for free. We may be able to recover compensation for personal injury as well as any psychological impact. It will all depend on the circumstances of the particular case, every case is different.
