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HOUSTON - The family of a 3-year-old girl who lost four fingers in an escalator accident at a Bellaire H-E-B store has filed a lawsuit against the escalator manufacturer, TK Elevator Corporation, and H-E-B, LP., according to a news release.
The release stated the incident occurred on March 30, when the child became trapped in a wide gap between the escalator steps and the skirt. Despite her parents' attempts to free her, the escalator's safety features failed, resulting in the amputation of her fingers.
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The lawsuit alleges negligence, gross negligence, and premises liability on the part of both defendants.
Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, stated, "This was a completely preventable incident caused by the defendants' failure to maintain and monitor the escalator."
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The lawsuit details several failures by TK Elevator Corporation and H-E-B, including:
- Unmaintained Escalator: A dangerously large gap between the steps and the side skirt allowed the child's hand to be pulled into the escalator.
- Inoperable Safety Features: The escalator's safety switches, which should have automatically stopped the escalator when an obstruction occurred, were defective and failed to engage.
- Failure to Preserve Evidence: Following the incident, the escalator was immediately put back in service without the required investigation by state authorities, resulting in the loss of critical evidence.
The Williams family is seeking over $1 million in damages for the child's injuries, emotional distress, and ongoing medical needs.
They are also calling for industry-wide reforms to prevent similar accidents.