Wheelchair Bound Man Falls to Death in Elevator

[ASR89]

Jimaz and others, is this the thread you all were looking for?

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?t=2414

[Jimaz]

Yep. Thanks, ljbad89.

So is it the same elevator in the wheelchair story or are there two?!

[Jimaz]

Egads, DetroitDad's experience was in the Leland Hotel. So there are two dangerous elevators on the loose.

Destroy all closets! Er, elevators!

[buildingsofdetroit]

Quite a while ago, maybe 1983 or so. Guy that owned the building made his home on the 7th or 8th floor. His name was Nick, can't recall his surname. Lived there with his wife. Only two tenants at the time was a religious book store on the ground floor and the Detroit Police Lieutenants and Sergeants Association [[union) on the 6th floor. Apparently the doors to the elevator opened at his 'home' on the upper floor; he stepped in to a void.

Fall didn't hurt him a bit. Sudden stop at the bottom knocked the bejesus out of him.

The owner when the Wurlitzer closed in 1982 was Gerald Tobin of Annapolis, Md., who bought it in January 1980. Maybe it was the owner before him?

[DetroitDad]

[[This is unfortunate, my heart goes out to the family of the victim).

Yeah, the one at the Leland that that happened in actually broke down a couple weeks ago, and hasn't reopened yet, it's stuck on the top floor. This leaves long waits [[five to twenty minutes, as sometimes the single car is full).

I have been in the other mentioned building's elevators recently, which is a senior living high rise, I believe. The elevators in that building were pretty rickety, and like the Leland, are often broken down. The building with the hammer [[name please?) has some pretty bad elevators as well. However, none of these buildings holds a candle to many of the high rises in Highland Park and Northwest Detroit.

There are some REALLY bad elevators out there.

On a semi related topic, has anyone else ever ridden in the attendant operated elevators in the building Mezzanine is in [[620 Grand River, I think). Those things are... interesting.

[crawford]

However, none of these buildings holds a candle to many of the high rises in Highland Park and Northwest Detroit.

There are high rises in Highland Park and NW Detroit? Where exactly?

[DetroitDad]

There are high rises in Highland Park and NW Detroit? Where exactly?

I'm somewhat surprised you didn't know that, considering all the critiquing and negativity you have posted. You've really never seen Highland Park and West/Northwest Detroit?

[mauser]

There are high rises in Highland Park and NW Detroit? Where exactly?

Lee Plaza on the Boulevard.

Labelle Towers apartments.on Woodward Avenue.

theres two to get you started.

[RickBeall]

Yes, I would not want to ride in the Lee Plaza elevators right now.

[Zacha341]

LOL! That would be a ghost ride fo' sho... with phantom electricity

Yes, I would not want to ride in the Lee Plaza elevators right now.

[gnome]

Who dun moved Lee Plaza to Highland Park? Dang, I miss out on all the cool things.

[choquant]

There is definitely a shared liability here. You don't roll forwards, backwards or anywhere else without looking. OK, so there was a failure with the door safety. But the greater issue is him rolling without looking.

Same as a malfunctioning traffic light. You don't sail through the intersection. You look to make sure it's safe first.

Come on, really? In the case of the traffic light, one can clearly see that the light is out. A person in a wheelchair can't necessarily see the inside of an elevator shaft that well since they are in a sitting position and elevators are sometimes dark. There is also no reason at all to expect that the elevator would not be there. Even the most hardass defense lawyers would not likely argue shared liability here! They would [[and should) lose.

[RickBeall]

Did he press the "Down" button? If he pressed the "Up" button then he could definately sue for damages.

[Meddle]

Even the most hardass defense lawyers would not likely argue shared liability here!

Any lawyer worth their salt would.

Then again, the estate may also have a case against the wheelchair manufacturer if the information about it being out of control is accurate.

[Zacha341]

There's a senior citizen 6+ floor building off Mancherster and Woodwood [[Highland Park) and two pretty creepy 7 plus floor buildings in the New Center and nearby Seward and Woodward. Another high rise building on West Grand Blvd at 14th street, two more modern high rise buildings on Pallister off the Lodge near Henry Ford Hospital. There are others......

There are high rises in Highland Park and NW Detroit? Where exactly?

[wolverine]

Well as long as it's 70 feet or higher it can be called a highrise The word "highrise" is legally defined in every state and usually around this height, not sure about Michigan though. In some circumstances, buildings not qualifying under highrise definitions don't require as stringent life-safety compliance.