Craig Rosenbaum | January 19, 2012 | Premises Liability
Football fans only expect to see injuries on the field, but that wasn’t the case after a game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots on Dec. 29, 2007.
On that day, an escalator malfunctioned causing serious injuries to eight people. However, those eight people settled a lawsuit today with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
The injuries occurred when an escalator bringing football fans down from an upper level of the stadium sped up and then abruptly stopped. Some of the steps on the escalator broke. Injuries were so severe that one man lost his leg, and another man may still need his foot amputated.
The man who lost his leg in the accident said that he noticed the escalator speeding up, but thought he could safely jump off at the bottom. He said once he reached the bottom of the escalator that the steps had broken, and they simply swallowed up his leg. He endured five different surgeries before having his leg amputated three years after the accident.
It is not known what the terms of the settlement are between the plaintiffs and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. Those who were injured also settled with the escalator maintenance company last week.
People ride escalators every day in every city across the country. People expect that they will be safe. However, that isn’t always the case.
In this specific situation, it appears that both the escalator maintenance company and the company that operated the stadium at the time were negligent. When people are harmed due to the negligence of another person or company, they should be compensated appropriately.
Source: San Antonio Express, “NJ authority settles suit over escalator accident,” David Porter, Jan. 19, 2012
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