Catastrophic Brain Injury Prompts Recall of Residential Elevators

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of certain residential elevators sold exclusively by Coastal Carolina Elevators.  The elevators can operate while the gate door is open, posing a potential crushing hazard.

The Commission states that Coastal Carolina Elevators, based in South Carolina, has received three different reports of incidents involving their products, including one that resulted in a catastrophic brain injury to a 10-year-old boy.Coastal Carolina Elevators were sold through residential contractors and developers from January 2006 through December 2009 at a cost of between $16,000 and $25,000.

Homeowners with this product should stop use of it immediately and contact the manufacturer for repair.

We mostly presume that elevators are reliable and are free of defects.  Rarely does one enter an elevator presuming that an injury might ensue.  Nevertheless, elevators are transporting great weight from various heights and are therefore capable of causing very serious injury.

Normally, there are several safeguards installed in each manufacturer’s design to prevent serious injuries in the event a malfunction may occur.  That fact that such serious injuries did occur is quite concerning.

Products liability, which is the area of law involved with these elevators, arises when an allegedly “defective product” may result in harm to an innocent victim.  These cases provide recovery for injured victims against manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and distributors who make certain defective products available to the public.

For further information or discussion on this topic or any other, feel free to contact the Schulman Law Group at (954) 349-3300 or at info@www.schulaw.com