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Sakelliadis EI, Katsos KD, Zouzia EI, Moraitis K, Spiliopoulou CA. Unusual Elevator-Related Deaths: A Report of Two Cases. J Forensic Sci 2019; 65:991-994. [PMID: 31710693 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We present two cases of elevator-related deaths that occurred in two different elevators, and deaths were caused by a similar, but unusual, mechanism. An elevator is a platform or compartment housed in a shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels. Elevator-related deaths and injuries are rarely reported in the literature. In most of these cases, cause of death was attributed to falls. It seems that most of the elevator accidents may be attributed to factors related to device maintenance inadequacies or even to device malfunctioning. In our cases, both elevator cars were not equipped with full-length inner doors, thus allowing both accidents to occur. Since 2014, the European Union adopted a relative directive, which imposes the need to equip all elevators with such full-length doors. The enforcement of the above-mentioned EU Directive is crucial, in order to prevent similar accidents in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil I Sakelliadis
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attiki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos D Katsos
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attiki, Greece
| | - Evmorfili I Zouzia
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attiki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Moraitis
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attiki, Greece
| | - Chara A Spiliopoulou
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attiki, Greece
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Prahlow JA, Ashraf Z, Plaza N, Rogers C, Ferreira P, Fowler DR, Blessing MM, Wolf DA, Graham MA, Sandberg K, Brown TT, Lantz PE. Elevator-Related Deaths. J Forensic Sci 2019; 65:823-832. [PMID: 31703160 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.14235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Elevators are mechanical transportation devices used to move vertically between different levels of a building. When first developed, elevators lacked the safety features. When safety mechanisms were developed, elevators became a common feature of multistory buildings. Despite their well-regarded safety record, elevators are not without the potential for danger of injury or death. Persons at-risk for elevator-related death include maintenance and construction workers, other employees, and those who are prone to risky behavior. Deaths may be related to asphyxia, blunt force, avulsion injuries, and various forms of environmental trauma. In this review, we report on 48 elevator-related deaths that occurred in nine different medicolegal death investigation jurisdictions within the United States over an approximately 30-year period. The data represents a cross-section of the different types of elevator-related deaths that may be encountered. The review also presents an overview of preventive strategies for the purpose of avoiding future elevator-related fatalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Prahlow
- Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, 300 Portage St., Kalamazoo, MI, 49007
| | - Zuhha Ashraf
- Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner, 1104 N. Mission Rd., Los Angeles, CA, 90033
| | - Natalie Plaza
- Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner, 1104 N. Mission Rd., Los Angeles, CA, 90033
| | - Christopher Rogers
- Los Angeles County Department of the Medical Examiner-Coroner, 1104 N. Mission Rd., Los Angeles, CA, 90033
| | - Pamela Ferreira
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, 900 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21223
| | - David R Fowler
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, 900 West Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD, 21223
| | - Melissa M Blessing
- Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, 1861 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, TX, 77025
| | - Dwayne A Wolf
- Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, 1861 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, TX, 77025
| | - Michael A Graham
- Division of Forensic Pathology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 South Grand Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63104
| | - Kelly Sandberg
- Franklin County Coroner's Office, 520 King Avel, Columbus, OH, 43201
| | - Theodore T Brown
- Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, 300 Portage St., Kalamazoo, MI, 49007
| | - Patrick E Lantz
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157
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Jacobsen C, Lynnerup N. Craniocerebral trauma - Congruence between post-mortem computed tomography diagnoses and autopsy results. Forensic Sci Int 2010; 194:9-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2008] [Revised: 05/25/2009] [Accepted: 10/05/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Puentes K, Taveira F, Madureira AJ, Santos A, Magalhães T. Three-dimensional reconstitution of bullet trajectory in gunshot wounds: A case report. J Forensic Leg Med 2009; 16:407-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2009.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2009] [Accepted: 04/02/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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