Sudden elevator descent injuries subject of suit

A woman has filed suit against the company that runs a Madison County apartment complex, alleging she was injured when an elevator on which she was riding suddenly and unexpectedly dropped more than four floors.

Linda Batson claims she was working for Help at Home on Sept. 6, 2011, and was required to ride up to an apartment at defendant Township Village Apartments as part of her job duties. As Batson was attempting to descend to the main floor, the elevator rapidly dropped from the sixth floor and came to a stop between the second and first floors of the building, according to the complaint filed July 16 in Madison County Circuit Court.

Because of the incident, Batson suffered permanent injuries from which she suffered great pain and anguish, the suit states. She also incurred medical costs and lost wages, the complaint says.

At the time of the incident, defendant Schindler Elevator Corporation was at Township Village Apartments to perform maintenance and a visual inspection on the elevators, Batson says. However, it negligently failed to maintain the elevator in a safe condition for passengers, according to the complaint.

Batson blames Township Village Apartments for contributing to her injuries, saying it failed to properly maintain its elevator, failed to require proper maintenance of its elevator to prevent its falling from the sixth floor, allowed use of its elevator when it knew of unsafe conditions and failed to provide markings on the elevator of its proper use.

In addition to Township Village Apartments, Batson names its manager, Judy Kuehnel, as a defendant, saying she failed to provide a safe place for residents and their guests by preventing use of the elevator when it was in an unsafe condition.

Home at Help is named as a respondent in discovery. Batson was working for the company at the time of the incident and says that it has information essential to the proper preparation of her lawsuit.

In her complaint, Batson is seeking a judgment of more than $150,000.

She will be represented by Erin Phillips of Unsell, Schattnik and Phillips in Wood River.

Madison County Circuit Court case number: 13-L-1184.