After checking the doors, press the emergency button for help. In some elevators, there is a phone you can use to actually call for help. Others simply have an alarm button that will notify the building’s security, maintenance, or front desk. If you are not certain which button is the alarm, look for a button with the image of a bell or telephone on it. Follow all instructions posted in the elevator and follow the advice of anyone you speak with on the phone.
If you have cell phone service, try using your phone to call 911. Although you may have already pressed the elevator’s alarm button, it is generally a good idea to ask for help from 911, too. This way, you know for a fact that help is on the way.
If you are unable to signal for help through the elevator’s alarm button and your cell phone does not get any service in the elevator, make noise, such as pounding on the elevator doors. If the elevator is close to the waiting area, other people in the building may hear you and fetch help.
Most importantly, always be prepared to wait. Even after you have alerted the authorities of your situation, it could take hours before you are finally free from the elevator.
Never attempt to leave a stuck elevator on your own. Although most elevators do have escape hatches in the ceiling, most of them are locked from the outside. Attempting escape without the help of an emergency responder is the a common way that people stuck in elevators get injured.
If you can, use your phone to surf the internet or read an e-book. If possible, take a nap or strike up a conversation with the other people in the elevator.
For more advice on what to do during an emergency and for legal advice, check out our blog. And for help after an elevator injury, contact the Law Office of Jason R. Schultz, P.C. at 404-474-0804.
