Recently, two women filed suit against Chevron U.S.A., Inc. after being trapped in an elevator in Chevron’s building located at 1400 Smith Street in Houston, Texas. The lawsuit alleges that the two women were trapped in the malfunctioning elevator for approximately 40 minutes near the 39th floor of the skyscraper before the unthinkable happened. Apparently, the elevator then accelerated upward and crashed through the top of the elevator shaft at the 50th floor.
Firefighters were called to the scene and rescued the occupants. According to the suit, firefighters arrived and dropped a ladder into the elevator compartment and assisted the passengers out. The suit claims that the women then made their way to the roof of another elevator compartment and climbed down.
One woman is alleging injuries to her lower back, left leg, and left ankle. The other was allegedly diagnosed with a fractured left foot, suffered a closed head injury, and a lower back injury. Both women are seeking damages for the mental anguish experienced during the ordeal in addition to the personal injuries sustained. The suit was initially filed in Harris County state district court, but has since been removed by the defendants to federal court. At this point, there is still no definitive answer as to what caused the elevator to malfunction. While it must have been frightening for the passengers, luckily the elevator zoomed upwards rather than a free fall from the 39th floor.
If you or someone you know have been injured by a defective product or premises defect, contact the attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211.