Elevators and escalators can save you a lot of time getting from one floor to another. However, when you are accompanied by children, their risk of being injured while taking one of these devices is increased. This is because children are more vulnerable to elevator and escalator injuries. In fact, each year thousands of children end up in the hospital for related injuries. There are a couple of different reasons as to why children are more vulnerable to these types of injuries.
Children lack the ability to properly use elevators and escalators.
One of the biggest causes of injuries among children using elevators and escalators is that children are unable to properly use them. Young children – those under the age of five – are much like many in the elderly population: they lack the strength, coordination, and balance to be able to safely use an elevator or escalator. This lack of coordination and balance makes it much more difficult to properly step in and out of an elevator or on and off of an escalator. Many injuries occur during these periods of “entrance” and “exit.”
Children often mimic behavior – both good and bad.
A second major reason as to why children are more vulnerable to elevator and escalator injuries is that they are at an age where they mimic the behavior that they see. Young children often fail to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, instead copying both. Therefore, when children see adults misusing elevators and escalators they may copy this behavior thereby misusing them themselves. For instance, if a child sees someone running onto an elevator as the doors begin to close or sees someone standing backwards on an escalator while talking, they may try to copy these behaviors. But since they are much smaller and less coordinated, these same actions often result in injuries such as:
- Slip and falls
- Scrapes
- Bruises
- Broken or fractured bones
Preventing Your Child from Being Injured
The best thing that you can do to help prevent your children from suffering elevator and escalator injuries is to remain vigilant. Always be sure to supervise your children whenever they are using or about to use an elevator or escalator. It’s also important that you teach them the proper way to use these devices and to lead by example as they will undoubtedly watch and copy what you do. If you believe that your child is too young to properly use these devices on their own, you may want to carefully hold them. But always pay extra attention whenever you are getting on or off an elevator or escalator as these are the most dangerous times for injury.
While you can take these steps to protect your children from elevator and escalator injuries, some injuries are completely out of your control. Sometimes the equipment on these devices fails because it is faulty and/or because it was not properly maintained. When you are injured due to one of these reasons, the manufacturer, owner, or maintenance team involved with the device may be held liable.
The Attorneys at Rochelle McCullough Help Those in Dallas Who Have Been Injured in an Elevator or Escalator Accident
When you or a loved one has been injured in an elevator or escalator accident, you are often faced with handling the financial ramifications that accompany it. You should not be held responsible for someone else’s negligence. You may be entitled to compensation. Be sure to speak with a qualified Texas personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
The lawyers at Rochelle McCullough help victims of elevator and escalator accidents to get their lives and their livelihood back on track. We will fight for your rights. To schedule a consultation, contact us today.