January 10, 2013

Five people were left seriously injured earlier this week by a faulty escalator in Jersey City, New Jersey. MYFOX Philly said the incident occurred Monday around 9:00 a.m. at the Exchange Place PATH Station.

Witnesses stated that dozens of people were riding the escalator up to the street level when the unit suddenly malfunctioned and began to travel back downward. A flood of people began to build at the bottom as many continued to try to go up the escalator while others were attempting to get off as it traveled down.

The confusion of the situation forced several to jump from the escalator while others suffered a Slip and Fall accident. The incident resulted in five people reporting injuries and a Port Authority spokesperson, Ron Marisco, stated three of the individuals were taken to a local trauma center for treatment.

Officials stated the station suffered extensive damage during Superstorm Sandy and are looking into whether storm damage may have contributed to the malfunction.

The law states that the city has a responsibility to ensure the safety and health of citizens using public train stations and failure to do so could be considered negligence in the event of an accident like the one that recently occurred. That is why the New Jersey Personal Injury Lawyers with Lundy Law suggest discussing your legal options with an attorney if you have been injured by an accident on public property that occurred at no fault of your own.