Five Things I Would Never Do: Elevators (Lessons Observed By a Plaintiff's Trial Lawyer) - Atlanta Injury Lawyer Blog

Have you seen the newest trend on Instagram and Tik Tok? It’s “5 Things I Would Never Do.” It’s doctors telling us five things they would never do based on what they have learned practicing medicine and what they have seen in the patients they have treated. Sometimes it’s teachers sharing with us five things they would never do as a high school teacher, or five things a travel advisor would never do. It’s pretty interesting. And it’s fun and informative. It got me to thinking about things I (and my family members) would never do based on what I have learned over the last 38 years as a trial lawyer and what I have seen happen to my clients. In fact, my family still talks about certain things they will never do because of “Mom’s cases.” (Add a roll of the eye here). Here is a list to start, and it’s just about elevators:

Never step out of an elevator without first looking down at the threshold to make sure it is level with the floor. (Elevators mis-level a lot and one that is not level with the floor can trip you and cause horrible injuries.);
If you have a private elevator in your home or home office, never get on it without your cell phone. A private elevator often malfunctions. It can get stuck in between floors or the door can get stuck on and not open. Don’t rely on any installed telephone in the elevator. You may not have service. Always take your cell phone in the elevator with you to call 911 in an emergency.
If you and your spouse or partner are in the home together with a private elevator, both of you should never, ever get on the elevator at the same time.
Never get on an elevator without first using the bathroom. You can see my level of distrust on the maintenance of elevators. So this is really just a Life Lesson.
Never put your arm or leg out to prevent an elevator door from closing, even if you are trying to be a good person to hold the elevator for someone approaching. Again, this places way to much trust on the maintenance of the safety mechanism of the elevator door. You could suffer from a crushing injury (which is gruesome) to your hand or leg. Don’t do it. Just let the elevator door close and press the Open Door button inside of the elevator (assuming you can quickly decipher which button that is).
[BONUS] Never press your floor number first if you are a young woman and a male enters the elevator after you. He may claim his room is on the same floor as yours. Press the lowest floor possible or the open door button and get out!

I realize now that I started this list that these all have to do with elevators, and you can see that I have handled quite a few cases in which my clients have been injured by elevators. I also realize that I actually included six “nevers” instead of five, but I didn’t want to leave out #6. It’s important. I’ll come back shortly with a list of things never to do that don’t involve elevators.

For now, stay safe!

Robin Frazer Clark is a trial lawyer who pursues justice for those who have personal injury claims as a result of being injured in motor vehicle wrecks, trucking wrecks, defective products, defective maintenance of roads, premises safety, medical malpractice and other incidents caused by the negligence of others. Ms. Clark was the 50^th President of the State Bar of Georgia, a Past President of Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, a Past President of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta and has practiced law in Georgia for 38 years. She is a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Ms. Clark is listed as one of the Top 50 Women Trial Lawyers in Georgia and is a Georgia Super Lawyer. Ms. Clark is the co-host of the podcast “See You In Court.”

Robin Frazer Clark ~ Dedicated to the Constitution’s Promise of Justice for All.