An employee of Cal State Long Beach was killed today while trying to escape from a malfunctioning elevator in the Foundation Building of the university.
The victim, Annette Lujan, was a single mother who lived in Huntington Beach. She had worked at Cal State Long Beach for nine years.
About 9:00 a.m., a call came in to authorities that a woman was trapped in an elevator on the building's third floor. Lujan was going from the third to the first floor when the elevator malfunctioned. The elevator got stuck between floors. Lujan was in the process of attempting to crawl out when the elevator suddenly moved and crushed her.
According to firefighters, they responded as quickly as they could, but Lujan was dead by the time they arrived.
The Urban Search and Rescue Team of the Long Beach Fire Department worked for over an hour to lift the elevator and free the body, using a rope and pulley system.
According to Toni Beron, a Cal State Long Beach spokesperson, the 3-story building is approximately 20 years old and has two elevators. Beron claims that there were no prior problems with elevator involved in the accident.
Capt. Rich Brandt of the Long Beach Fire Department states that the tragedy is a reminder that someone who is trapped in an elevator should never try to free themselves.
An elevator accident falls under the category of premises liability law. The property owner and elevator maintenance company have a duty to make sure the elevators are running safely. If an elevator passenger is injured or killed as a result of an elevator malfunction, the property owner and elevator maintenance company are liable.
Call a Santa Monica personal injury lawyer at McGee, Lerer and Associates if you or a loved one has been injured in an elevator accident. We will demand full compensation for the damage you have suffered.