All of us have taken the escalator so many times that to call it dangerous would be like calling a seat on the MRT a deathtrap.
But there have been numerous instances of accidents involving escalators, due to a lack of maintenance or malfunctioning.
One Mrs Vera Sandosham was the victim of such a incident back in 2017, at the Adelphi Shopping Centre.
The woman later chose to initiate legal proceedings, and now, four years later, a judge has ruled in her favour.
What Happened
On 29 June 2017, at around 11am, Mrs Sandosham and her husband were taking the escalator to level one of the Adelphi Mall after having a meal at a cafe in the basement.
As many of us do, both were holding on to the handrail as they ascended. Mr Sandosham’s husband was slightly ahead of her.
When they were approaching level one, the escalator violently jerked forwards and backwards, causing both Mrs Sandosham and her husband to fall onto the steps.
Mrs Sandosham, now 68, sustained bruises on her lower lip and left hip and had to be treated at the Singapore General Hospital. She later sued the mall’s management corporation (MC) for an alleged breach of duty, and sought damages.
Judge Rules in Victim’s Favour
After a two-day trial, a district court judge ruled in Mrs Sandosham’s favour, arguing that the escalator had malfunctioned.
“I have found that the escalator violently jerked forwards and backwards,” said District Judge Sheik Umar Mohamed Bagushair.
In a court session last month, the judge said: “We had an escalator that had operated for 25 years, that malfunctioned, and after the accident, required some parts to be replaced.
“Putting all these together, it seemed to me that there was more than sufficient evidence to conclude that the malfunctioning escalator jerked forwards and backwards when the plaintiff was on it, resulting in the accident.”
The defence argued that the couple’s account of events wasn’t entirely accurate, and even brought in an eyewitness to support their claims, but the judge wasn’t buying it.
Escalator Malfunctioned 75 Mins Before Accident
As the judge noted, the escalator had actually malfunctioned 75 minutes before the incident – security guards at the mall noticed that the escalator’s left handrail had stopped moving and called Hitachi to resolve the issue.
They also shut down the escalator, but failed to put up notices or barriers around it. The security personnel also failed to inform the guards on the next shift, which is why the incoming guards turned it on when they began their shift.
It’s for this reason that the judge has laid the blame at the MC’s door – the accident happened after the mall’s staff was aware that the escalator had malfunctioned.
A judge had earlier denied the defendant leave to appeal the case. MC is now appealing to the High Court over this decision.
As for the damages that are owed to Mrs Sandosham, that will soon be determined.
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