The family of Elisabeth Scotland is suing Fenway Sports Group for injuries she sustained in a Boston elevator accident. The woman, 22, suffered critical injuries earlier this year when she fell into the elevator shaft at Fenway Park.
The plaintiffs, in the Massachusetts premises liability case, say that Scotland was on the fourth floor of the ballpark waiting for an elevator when she lost her balance, fell into the shaft, and went down two stories. She landed on top of the elevator car.
Scotland sustained spinal injury, traumatic brain injury, dental damage, and facial fractures. The official state report says that she bumped into the elevator door after jumping on her father, hugging him, and jumping off him. That was when she struck the elevator door and it opened.
Fenway Sports Group is the parent company of Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox. Another defendant named in the Boston premises liability case is the Otis Elevator Company.
Massachusetts Elevator Accidents
Falls into elevator shafts can lead to catastrophic injuries. A person may suffer broken bones, facial injuries, back and neck injuries, crush injuries, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, other injuries, and even death. There is also the danger of getting squashed by a moving elevator.
Property owners are responsible for making sure that an elevator is in safe, working condition and that there are no hazards or defects or malfunctions that could cause an elevator accident to happen. This includes making sure that there is no way a patron, visitor, or anyone else can fall into the shaft. Also, manufacturers are supposed to design elevators that are free from defects. Regular maintenance of elevators is necessary to make sure they stay in working, safe condition.
Common Elevator Defects, Malfunctions, and Hazards:
• Brake malfunctions • Faulty controls • Design defects • Mechanical failures • Inadequate lighting • Inadequate safety, which may increase the risk of violent and sexual crimes
• A malfunctioning elevator door, which can lead to entrapment
• Misleveling, with an elevator failing to stop so that its floor is at level with the floor of the building • A falling elevator
Family Of Woman Injured In Fenway Park Elevator Accident Files Lawsuit, CBS, December 17, 2014
Woman Injured in Elevator Shaft Sues Red Sox Owner, Elevator Company for Damages, Boston.com, December 18, 2014
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