A New Jersey family is suing Taylor Management Company and Kone Elevators and Escalators for negligence after a terrifying incident involving their five-year-old daughter, Zoe Garatziotis, unfolded at the 1450 Washington at Hudson Tea apartment complex last July.
Zoe, enjoying a pool day with her family, found herself in a harrowing situation when her arm became ensnared in a small gap between an elevator and the wall, leaving her trapped for three agonizing minutes.
Zoe’s mother, Loni Garatziotis, along with a friend and other children present, frantically attempted to free her from the elevator’s grasp, resorting to hand sanitizer and then lotion to lubricate her arm. Despite their efforts, it took several minutes to extract Zoe from the situation.
The traumatic ordeal resulted in Zoe sustaining a deep gash on her wrist, requiring 20 stitches and leaving her with a painful and prominent scar. The family, upon returning to Palm Beach, Florida, sought medical care for Zoe’s injury, with monthly hospital visits becoming necessary.
In response to the incident, Zoe’s family filed a lawsuit against Taylor Management Company and Kone Elevators and Escalators on grounds of negligence. The lawsuit, initiated on August 31, seeks damages and demands that the building and elevator manufacturer implement warning signs to prevent similar accidents in the future.
“If you look at where the door goes in, it’s a really small gap, it can fit a couple pieces of paper, that’s how it should have been, the gap was too big,” Edward Capozzi, the family’s lawyer told ABC 7.
Both Taylor Management Company and Kone Elevators and Escalators have denied liability, shifting blame onto Zoe and her mother for the incident.
Zoe’s mother claims that nine months after the incident, the scar is still an everyday struggle for her daughter.
“It’s pretty rugged, it’s pretty big and it’s something that we deal with on a daily basis. She wants to cover it, it doesn’t feel good, it’s sensitive”, she said.
Allegations of negligence and recklessness in supervising Zoe have been levied against Loni by Taylor Management Company, sparking a contentious legal battle.
“Any injury or damages sustained by the plaintiffs were caused by the sole negligence, wrongdoing or breach of duty or warranty of plaintiffs and/or co-defendants,” the company wrote in a statement.
