If you have been injured in an elevator or escalator accident in Las Vegas, Drummond Law Firm will fight to recover the compensation you deserve. Approximately 17,000 individuals are injured in elevator and escalator accidents across the United States every year.
If a property owner, maintenance company, or equipment manufacturer failed to keep the equipment safe, you may be entitled to recover damages. Our elevator accident lawyers offer a free consultation to evaluate your claim. Call (702) 366-9966 to get started.
Elevator and Escalator Accident Attorneys Serving Las Vegas
Drummond Law Firm represents elevator and escalator accident victims throughout Las Vegas with direct, attorney-led legal representation. Every client works with a licensed attorney who investigates the property, reviews maintenance records, and builds a case to recover the full value of your claim. You will never be passed off to a paralegal for the decisions that count.
The Las Vegas Strip’s high-rise hotels, casinos, and convention centers operate hundreds of elevators and escalators around the clock. That constant use creates accelerated wear on mechanical components, and properties that defer maintenance or skip inspections put every guest at risk.
Our firm has represented injury victims in claims against casinos, hotels, commercial buildings, and residential properties across Nevada. We know where to find the evidence and how to use it.
What Sets Drummond Law Firm Apart?
Craig Drummond, a former U.S. Army Captain and JAG attorney with more than 20 years of experience, has litigated complex premises liability claims against casinos, hotels, and property management companies throughout Nevada. He prepares every case with the discipline and precision his military training instilled.
Our attorneys investigate the full liability chain, pursuing claims against every responsible party simultaneously rather than settling for a single defendant. Many firms file against the property owner alone and leave significant compensation on the table.
The Reduced Fee Guarantee ensures our attorney fee will not exceed your net recovery, and you will not pay a fee unless we win your case.
Types of Cases We Handle in Las Vegas
Drummond Law Firm handles elevator and escalator accident cases throughout Las Vegas and Clark County.
- Elevator Malfunctions: Cases involving equipment failures that cause passengers to fall, become trapped between floors, or sustain impact injuries inside the elevator car.
- Escalator Injuries: Cases involving entrapment, mechanical failures, and falls on escalators at casinos, hotels, shopping centers, and public buildings across Las Vegas.
- Construction and Maintenance Worker Injuries: Elevator shaft falls, crushing incidents during equipment repair, and injuries caused by OSHA lockout-tagout violations. If a third party’s negligence contributed to your workplace injury, you may have a claim beyond workers’ compensation.
- Wrongful Death: Fatal elevator and escalator accidents caused by catastrophic equipment failure, falls, or crush injuries. Families who lost a loved one may pursue a wrongful death claim to recover funeral expenses, lost financial support, and the grief the loss has caused.
How Nevada Law Affects Your Elevator or Escalator Accident Case
Nevada premises liability law requires property owners to maintain elevators and escalators in reasonably safe condition for all lawful visitors. Hotel and casino guests are considered invitees under Nevada law, meaning the property owner owes them the highest standard of care. That standard includes regular inspections and timely repairs when equipment shows signs of wear.
The state’s elevator safety code, NAC 455C, mandates annual inspections by licensed companies and requires property owners to maintain documented maintenance records for all elevator and escalator equipment. A violation of NAC 455C is direct evidence of negligence. Your attorney can subpoena those inspection records to prove the property owner or maintenance company failed to meet the standard.
Nevada follows a modified comparative negligence rule under NRS 41.141. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, and if a jury finds you more than 50 percent responsible, you are barred from recovering anything. Even partial fault affects your award, so a strong case places responsibility squarely on the parties who controlled the equipment.
Who Is Liable for an Elevator or Escalator Accident?
Liability depends on whether the accident resulted from a property condition, a maintenance failure, or a defect in the equipment itself. Multiple parties can share responsibility in a single case, and our firm pursues claims against all of them.
We subpoena maintenance contracts, inspection logs, and repair records to identify every party whose negligence contributed to your injury. In Las Vegas, casinos and hotels outsource elevator maintenance to third-party companies. The paper trail between the property owner and the service provider often shows where inspections were skipped, repairs were delayed, or complaints went unaddressed.
Property Owner Liability
Property owners owe a duty of care to every lawful visitor and must ensure elevators and escalators are inspected, maintained, and free from known hazards. Strip properties that run equipment continuously without adequate inspection schedules face direct liability for injuries that result. A property owner who knew or should have known about a dangerous condition and failed to act faces direct liability for the resulting injuries.
Maintenance Company Liability
Most major Las Vegas properties outsource elevator and escalator maintenance to third-party service companies. When a maintenance provider fails to complete required inspections or overlooks a known defect, that company can be held liable for negligence. Maintenance contracts and service records are discoverable evidence that can establish a pattern of missed inspections or deferred repairs.
Manufacturer and Installer Liability
If a design defect or manufacturing flaw made the elevator or escalator unreasonably dangerous, the manufacturer may face strict product liability. Installation errors that create safety hazards can also give rise to a claim against the company that installed the equipment. Product liability claims do not require proof of negligence because the manufacturer is held to a strict liability standard for defective products under Nevada law.
Common Causes of Elevator and Escalator Accidents
The Consumer Product Safety Commission tracks elevator and escalator injuries nationwide, and the most common causes in Las Vegas include mechanical failure and poor maintenance. Many of these accidents are preventable. When property owners fail to address known hazards, guests pay the price.
Elevator malfunctions such as door sensor failures, leveling errors, uncontrolled descent, and cable deterioration account for the majority of serious injuries. These failures often trace back to repair backlogs or lapsed service schedules that allowed a minor issue to escalate into a dangerous condition.
Gaps between escalator steps and side panels that are worn or misaligned catch clothing and shoes, while missing comb plates, worn handrails, and sudden speed changes create additional hazards. Failure to post warning signs, inadequate lighting around elevator doors, and overcrowding on escalators during peak casino hours contribute to preventable accidents at properties across the Las Vegas Strip.
Injuries from Elevator and Escalator Accidents
Fatal crush injuries, permanent brain damage, and paralysis are among the most devastating outcomes. A single elevator accident can change a victim’s life permanently.
Traumatic brain injuries from falls inside malfunctioning elevators or off escalator platforms can cause permanent cognitive impairment that affects memory, motor function, and the ability to work. Spinal cord injuries resulting from elevator drops or falls from height can lead to partial or complete paralysis. The long-term care costs for these injuries can reach into the millions over a lifetime.
Amputations and crush injuries occur when limbs are caught between closing elevator doors, trapped in escalator mechanisms, or pinned during a shaft fall. Lacerations, fractures, and soft tissue injuries from escalator entrapment or elevator door malfunctions are also common. Even injuries that appear minor at the scene can develop into chronic conditions that require ongoing medical treatment.
What Should You Do After an Elevator or Escalator Accident?
Seek immediate medical attention after any elevator or escalator accident, even if your injuries appear minor. Internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries do not always present symptoms right away, and medical records created shortly after the accident connect your injuries to the incident.
An elevator injury lawyer will also need photographs of the equipment, the surrounding area, any warning signs or the absence of them, and any visible injuries. Request a copy of the incident report from the property manager and collect contact information from any witnesses who saw what happened.
Evidence in elevator and escalator cases disappears quickly. Property owners repair equipment, overwrite surveillance footage, and alter maintenance logs within days of an incident.
Contacting an attorney early allows your legal team to send a spoliation letter requiring the property owner to preserve all records and footage related to your accident. Acting before that evidence is lost can make the difference in your case.
What Compensation Can You Recover After an Elevator or Escalator Accident?
Nevada law allows elevator and escalator accident victims to recover economic, non-economic, and punitive damages through a premises liability or product liability claim. Economic damages cover your medical bills, hospital stays, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and any future treatment your condition will require.
Non-economic damages account for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Nevada places no cap on non-economic damages in premises liability cases, so a jury is free to award the full amount it believes your suffering warrants.
Punitive damages may apply when the property owner or maintenance company knowingly ignored a dangerous condition or skipped required inspections.
Operating an elevator with a documented defect or failing to shut down an escalator after a reported malfunction can support a punitive damages claim. We evaluate every available category of compensation to ensure your claim reflects the true cost of your injuries.
How Long Do You Have to File an Elevator Accident Lawsuit in Nevada?
Nevada gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit under NRS 11.190. Once that deadline passes, the court will almost certainly dismiss your case regardless of how strong your evidence is.
Wrongful death claims arising from a fatal elevator or escalator accident must also be filed within two years. The clock starts on the date of the victim’s death, not the date of the accident, which matters in cases where the victim survives for a period before passing.
Two years may sound like enough time, but investigating the property, subpoenaing maintenance records under NAC 455C, and consulting engineering experts takes longer than most people expect. Contacting an attorney early gives your legal team the time it needs to preserve evidence and build your case before the clock runs out.
How Drummond Law Firm Can Help
Drummond Law Firm provides attorney-led representation for elevator and escalator accident victims across Las Vegas and Clark County. Craig Drummond, a former U.S. Army Captain and Bronze Star recipient licensed for more than 20 years, brings military discipline to every case our firm handles.
The Reduced Fee Guarantee ensures we will never take more than you receive in a settlement, and you will not pay a fee unless we win your case. Call the Captain today at (702) 366-9966 to schedule a free consultation.
