Unfortunately, accidents can happen any time in Wisconsin buildings. Often older buildings require greater care as they age and with that increase in care come an increase in the cost of building upkeep. Unfortunately, in an effort to cut costs, building owners are not always as vigilant as they should be in maintaining their property. It is when that happens that accidents can occur. Sometimes, those accidents can even lead to the death of building occupants.

A recent New York City elevator accident emphasizes the need for certain elevators to be properly maintained to avoid premises liability lawsuits.

A 41-year-old New York City advertising executive died earlier this month in a freak elevator accident. The New York City Fire Department reports that just as the woman began to step into the elevator, it suddenly began traveling up with its door still open.

The elevator carried the woman up the shaft and trapped her between the elevator and the wall midway between the 85-year-old building's first and second floors. The woman died at the scene, and it took emergency workers nearly nine hours to free her body.

It took rescuers roughly an hour to free two passengers who were already on the elevator when it began moving unexpectedly.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The 28-story Manhattan building was built in 1926 and has 13 elevators.

The city's Department of Buildings reports 14 elevator violations in the building, including two from 2010. However, an agency spokesperson said inspectors did not find anything that would lead them to believe an accident like this would occur.

The elevator involved in the accident was given a clean bill of health in a June 2011 inspection. However, one of the woman's former co-workers described the building's elevators as "old and creaky." He said he would not stick his hand in the door to try to stop them from closing because he was not sure the doors would stop.

Following the accident, emergency workers evacuated the building and workers were told to stay home the next day.

The woman worked as a director of new business and content at the well-known advertising agency Y&R. The company, which was once Young and Ribcam, represents Xerox, Campbell Soup and Land Rover. Earlier this month, the company announced it plans to move its offices to a different building.

Source: The New York Times, "Elevator Accident Kills Woman in Midtown Building," Cara Buckley and Andy Newman, Dec. 14, 2011.