Freight Elevator entrapment litigation has been occurring for over forty years. In fact, in the 1970's, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) amended codes A17.1 and A17.3 that allowed for greater clearance between the escalator steps and the side skirt, which is the location of most entrapment incidents. This change in requirements caused a significant increase in entrapment incidents. These incidents can cause significant damage to the victim, including blunt force trauma and often large lacerations.
Recently, with the global popularization of the foam rubber clogs produced both by Crocs, Inc. and it's imitators, several incidents have been reported of significant injuries due to escalator entrapment. Though these footwear products are popular with both children and adults, they have been a serious issue for children wearing them while riding escalators. Crocs, Inc. has had several claims filed against them for damages caused by entrapment of their product in escalators. Though all such claims have been settled out of court, the repercussions of these events have been noticed worldwide.
In Japan, where this footwear style has become a staple in popular fashion, there were 39 reports of escalator-related injuries involving these clog-style shoes between the months of August 2007 and September 2007. The Japanese government issued a warning to Japanese citizens to be aware of the dangers of wearing this style of footwear on escalators, especially directed towards children.
Crocs, Inc. launched an Chinese Escalator safety initiative in response to the high number of incidents that had plagued the company's consumers. They have also begun to add hang tags to their products to inform customers of these concerns.
