Three years ago, a then 10-year-old girl was seriously injured when her foot became caught in an escalator at the Macy’s store in Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey.
The injury to the child’s foot was so severe that she required 22 operations in order to keep her foot from being amputated. She underwent muscle and skin grafts, and also suffered kidney and lung failure. It took three months before she could even be released from the hospital. According to the family’s attorney, the girl had years of physical therapy. She has recovered, but still walks with a limp.
A bystander hit the emergency stop button when the girl’s foot became caught. Others were pulling pieces of the escalator apart in an effort to free the child’s leg.
The state of New Jersey requires escalator inspections, but one that had been schedule for March 2013 was cancelled by the store was never rescheduled. That was due to the inspection interfering with the retail operations of the store.
The escalator, according to the family, was one of the oldest in the country. It was installed in 1958. Typically, escalators have a service life of 20 to 25 years. This escalator, though, was never upgraded or replaced.
The girl’s family filed a lawsuit in federal court against Macy’s Inc., as well as Thyssen Krupp Elevator Corporation, which is responsible for maintenance on Macy’s elevators. Macy recently settled the lawsuit for $15 million.
Escalators can be responsible for very serious injuries and even death in some cases. If you or a loved one have suffered a personal injury and want to pursue compensation, an experienced lawyer can provide more information on how to proceed.
Source: NJ.com, “N.J. girl whose foot was caught in Macy’s escalator gets $15M settlement,” Anthony G. Attrino, NJ Advance Media, May 19, 2016