No one would even consider that stepping onto an escalator could be such a dangerous prospect, but eight people unfortunately paid the price when they rode a faulty escalator while leaving a 2007 football game at Giants Stadium. The group of injured bystanders has filed a personal injury suit against both the operators of the stadium, New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, and the company that maintained the malfunctioning escalator.

Two men suffered horrific leg injuries in the incident, with one man having his leg amputated and the other requiring more than 12 surgeries on his foot to repair the damage. Details regarding the damages suffered by the other six involved in the personal injury suit were not made available.

Those investigating the incident found that the escalator suddenly sped up and then just as quickly stopped. The force was so great that some of the bottom steps of the faulty escalator were bent. Such an incident seems to indicate that a human crush could have occurred, due to the speed involved and the enclosed nature of the escalator.

The personal injury case will begin more than four years after the incident, with proceedings starting today.

When serious injuries are caused to you by faulty or unsafe conditions on another's property, seek proper legal representation and discuss what your best course of legal action is. In this case, there is a personal injury suit being filed, but a similar situation could lead to a case of premises liability or negligence. If the operating company did not properly maintain the escalator or failed to apply due diligence when inspecting the equipment's safety, then the victims should be fairly compensated for the undue trauma they have suffered.

Source: New Jersey Star-Ledger, "Trial underway in Giants Stadium escalator accident," AP, Jan. 9, 2012