Can My Kids Recover Compensation for Psychological Damages if They were Trapped in the Elevator with Me?

Power outages/failures, mechanical failures, sensor malfunctions, and more can contribute to people getting trapped in elevators for a few minutes to a few hours. According to the National Elevator Industry, Inc., there are over 18 billion elevator passenger trips every year, so the risk of elevator passengers getting stuck in elevators is very low. Only 1 of every 100,000 elevator rides is estimated to result in passengers getting stuck. Unfortunately, elevator incidents like entrapment that do not necessary result in physical injuries are not normally reported – meaning that there are not any accurate statistics.

The children who get trapped in elevators can experience significant psychological harm even if no physical harm comes from the incident. Whether children are trapped for just a few minutes or hours, they can suffer mental and emotional distress.

Every situation and every individual are different. Some of the harm that affected parties, adults and children alike, could suffer could include the following:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Fear or phobia of elevators
• New or worsened agoraphobia
• New or worsened claustrophobia
• Panic disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Problems with sleep, including insomnia or trouble falling asleep
• Recurring nightmares or night terrors
• Social isolation

Some children may not have the language necessary to express any new or worsened mental/emotional harm. However, parents or legal guardians may observe changes in their behavior.

Now, you may be wondering if your child could be eligible to recover compensation if they were trapped in the elevator with you.

Yes – your kids could be eligible to recover compensation. Although every situation is different, your child could ultimately be awarded compensation for medical costs (specifically for mental health services, counseling, therapy, prescriptions, etc.), pain and suffering, punitive damages, and more. If you decide to pursue a lawsuit against the party or entity at-fault for the elevator entrapment incident, both you and your child (if you decide to pursue a claim on their behalf) could have the right to recover compensation.

For more information about what your child can recover, please do not hesitate to reach out to our experienced elevator entrapment lawyers as soon as possible.

Without a doubt, it can be difficult to prove psychological harm after an incident. Unlike physical injuries, psychological injuries are not visible. To be able to recover compensation for your child’s psychological injuries, you will need to be able to prove that your child suffered psychological harm.

Consider some of the following recommendations:

• Seek a medical evaluation after the incident (take your child to their pediatrician to get a referral for a mental health evaluation, therapy, counseling, etc.)
• Ensure that all prescription
• Gather all relevant records associated with diagnoses, medication, therapy sessions, incurred costs, etc.

If you ever find yourself unsure of what to do next, simply reach out to our team as soon as possible. Our elevator injury attorneys are ready to guide you every step of the way.

If you and your child suffered psychological harm after becoming entrapped in an elevator, you might have many questions about the legal options available to you. Here at our law firm, our experts are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to fight for your child’s rights and get justice after something as traumatic as getting stuck in an elevator. If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, contact us today. Our team here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group is ready to help.

Free Case Evaluations: to ensure that we remain as accessible as possible, our law firm offers free legal services. These include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our team will be available to provide you with all the information that you need to begin or continue your elevator entrapment psychological harm claim.

Zero-Fee Guarantee: you will not have to pay any upfront legal costs for any of our legal services. In addition, our law firm works on a contingency basis, meaning that our clients will not be responsible for paying legal costs if their claims are not successful. If you do not win, you simply will not pay anything at all.

If you are ready to speak with our experts about what your kids can recover if they were trapped in the elevator with you, contact us today.