According to the New York Times, A 12-year-old girl was seriously injured in the middle of March when she fell about 35 feet down an elevator shaft at a Manhattan co-op, setting in motion a rescue that drew 20 emergency workers, the authorities said.
She fell from the first-floor lobby to the elevator pit in the subbasement. The rescue mission by the Fire Department of New York was nothing short of spectacular.
The workers went to the subbasement and pried open the elevator doors, rolled the girl onto a backboard, then put her in a basket to take her to the first floor.
In December, Recherche Realty Inc. was fined $250 for failing to keep an elevator up to code in the building, according to Buildings Department records. The complaint was closed after the firm paid the fine and corrected the problem.
The New York City Building Code requires that all buildings and all parts thereof be maintained in a safe condition and in good working order. This applies to elevators. The owner of the building, the manager of the building, and any elevator maintenance company regularly used by the building have a non delegable duty to passengers to maintain and to repair the elevator.
The law firm of Alvin H. Broome and Associates wishes a speedy recovery to the 12-year-old girl who nearly lost her life. Elevator safety should be a top priority for the owners and managers of buildings so the tenants living in the buildings can avoid accidents like this one.