Escalators, Footwear, and Severe Foot Injuries - By: Alan Haburchak

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, over a period of five years there were 53 reports of escalator footwear mishaps and Crocs were named in four injuries. The fact that Crocs has practically become a household word since their inception in 2002 is quite amazing. Crocs popularity might be part of the problem since they have sold 50 million pairs of shoes in five years. And yes, the knock-offs are getting caught in elevators too.

Shoe entrapment happens to young and old, to people wearing galoshes, rubber soles, and even stiletto heels. Escalators are powerful complex pieces of equipment with moving parts.

Hidden Dangers

"This is a hidden danger, not only in terms of the escalator equipment, but in the design of the shoes", said Philadelphia Lawyer Joel D. Feldman, Esquire and co-author of Elevator and Escalator Accident Litigation and Reconstruction, 2nd edition. "The soles of these shoes are sticky and thus easily can become stuck in equipment. Since they are made of a soft substance, they provide little protection from the power contained in the motors of an escalator. So, no slip is not always safe in terms of contact with escalators." Mr. Feldman is a shareholder at the Philadelphia Law Firm of Anapol Schwartz Weiss Cohan Feldman & Smalley. Lawsuits have been filed for slip & fall cases involving escalators.

Escalator Injury Rips off Child's Toe

For example, a 4-year-old boy got his foot caught in an escalator last month in a Virginia mall. His mother managed to yank him free, but the nail on his big toe was almost completely ripped off, causing heavy bleeding. Initially mom had no idea what caused the boy's foot to get caught. It was only later; when someone at the hospital remarked about the child's shoes – Crocs -- that she did an Internet search.

According to reports appearing across the United States and as far away as Singapore and Japan, shoe entrapments occur because of the shoe's flexibility and grip. Some report the shoes get caught in the teeth at the bottom or top of the escalator or in the crack between the steps and the side of the escalator.

The reports of serious injuries have all involved young children. Crocs are commonly worn by children as young as 2.

In Japan, the government warned consumers last week that it has received 39 reports of sandals - mostly Crocs or similar products - getting stuck in escalators from late August through early September. Most of the reports appear to have involved small children, some as young as two years old.

Kazuo Motoya of Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation said children may have more escalator accidents in part because they bounce around when they stand on escalators, instead of watching where they place their feet. In Singapore, a 2-year-old girl wearing rubber clogs – (brand unknown) - had her big toe completely ripped off in an escalator accident.

At the Atlanta airport, a 3-year-old boy wearing Crocs suffered a deep gash across the top of his toes; one of seven shoe entrapments at the airport in less than nine months, and all but two involved Crocs.

As for escalator safety, you should always have your child stand right in the middle of the steps so if you're on the escalator with your child, your hold the railing and then you hold your child's hand and make sure the child is right in the middle, nowhere near the sides because that's where the accidents can happen.

And then when you get down to the bottom, make sure that you help your child get off.

During the past two years, shoe entrapments in the Washington Metro subway have gone from being relatively rare to happening four or five times a week in the summer, though none have caused serious injuries.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said escalator accidents caused more than 10,000 injuries last year, but the agency has few records of specific shoe problems. Only two shoe entrapments have been reported by consumers since the beginning of 2006. One reported in May involved rubber footwear.

Agency spokesman Ed Kang urged people who have had problems to report them on the commission's Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html/.

About the Author

Philadelphia law firm Anapol Schwartz has a long history as a "personal injury" firm; however a closer look reveals that the firm has grown through diversification, while maintaining a tradition of excellence. Anapol Schwartz now handles a wider range of cases, including securities and employment litigation. For more information on the dangers of Croc shoes, consult with Philadelphia Lawyer Joel D. Feldman, Esquire.

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