We live in a world of convenience. Elevators whisk us up multiple floors. Escalators move us from one level to the next without our needing to expend any energy. But the machinery that makes that all possible requires maintenance. And whether you live in Wisconsin or anywhere else, if something goes wrong with the machines, life-altering personal injury can be the result.

Pursuit of just compensation is the right of every victim in such instances, but just because the right exists doesn't mean that justice is swift. Sometimes it can take years to resolve personal injury claims arising out of premises liability as is evidenced by a case out of New Jersey.

The incident that sparked the case happened more than four years ago. Football fans were riding down an escalator at Giants Stadium after a game on Dec. 29, 2007, when the moving stairway suddenly began to accelerate. People at the bottom were caught unaware and passengers behind them began to pile up at the bottom.

Eight people were hurt. Some of them lost limbs or underwent repeated surgeries to recover from the injuries suffered when some steps on the escalator derailed and riders' became trapped in a gaping hole that opened up.

A lawsuit was filed on behalf of the victims but it took until last week for the case to come to trial. Then, several days into the trial it all ended with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority agreeing to settle the case for $2 million. Schindler Elevator Corp., which had been a defendant in the suit, had settled its part of the case on the trial's first day. The amount of that settlement hasn't been revealed.

In the few days of trial that did take place, victims relived the horrible incident. Witnesses described what happened and videos were shown. In the case of one victim, testimony described how his foot was crushed in the wreckage of the escalator. In the years since, his attorney said, he has gone through 17 operations and has racked up medical costs of $890,000. He is still dealing with the pain today.

Source: NorthJersey.com, "NJSEA to pay $2M in Giants Stadium escalator settlement," Kibret Markos, Jan. 19, 2012