Injured on an A-frame, twin-step, or platform ladder? Call Attorney Michael Siddons for a FREE consultation: (610) 255-7500. No fee unless we win.
A-Frame and Platform Ladder Accident Attorney
A-frame ladders, twin-step ladders, podium ladders, and industrial platform ladders share a common design feature — a standing surface at or near the top rather than a simple top rung. They are used extensively in warehouses, aircraft maintenance facilities, commercial kitchens, stagecraft, and any setting where the user needs to stand stably for extended periods while working with both hands. Failures in this ladder class often have devastating consequences because the user is standing fully upright, not gripping a rung, and any tip or collapse results in an unbraced fall.
How Platform Ladders Fail
- Platform collapse. The top standing platform folds, cracks, or separates from the rails under load.
- Guardrail failure. The guardrail designed to prevent the user from stepping off the platform fails to deploy, breaks, or is missing entirely from a ladder that was supposed to have one.
- Lateral tip. The ladder tips sideways because the user leaned against a guardrail that did not have adequate lateral strength.
- Base stability failure. On rolling platform ladders, the caster lock fails to engage and the ladder rolls with the user on it.
- Twin-step spreader failure. On twin-step (two-sided) ladders, the spreader mechanism that locks both sides open fails and the ladder collapses on itself.
- Podium ladder swivel failure. On podium ladders, the locking mechanism for the platform orientation fails under load.
Industrial Platform Ladder Standards
Industrial platform ladders are governed by ANSI A14.7 (mobile ladder stands and platforms). OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28 and 1910.29 set requirements for walking-working surfaces and fall protection on elevated platforms. Platforms over four feet in height generally require guardrails; platforms with guardrails must be engineered to support specific loads. A platform ladder that fails under a load within its rated capacity, or a guardrail that fails to do its job, is typically a product defect or a premises-liability failure.
Common Injuries
Because platform ladder users stand upright and do not typically grip a rung, falls from platform ladders produce unbraced landings: traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, pelvic and hip fractures, and abdominal trauma. Platform ladder falls are often from 4 to 10 feet but can produce catastrophic injury from those heights because of the unbraced nature of the fall.
Frequently Asked Questions
I fell off a rolling platform ladder whose casters didn’t lock. Defect?
Very likely. Caster-lock mechanisms that do not engage reliably under load are a recognized product defect in this ladder class.
The guardrail broke when I leaned on it. Is that a case?
Usually yes. Guardrails must be designed and built to withstand the loads they are foreseeably subjected to. A guardrail that breaks under normal leaning load is a design or manufacturing defect.
Am I covered by OSHA on a platform ladder?
If you were working, yes. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28 and 1910.29 set the fall-protection and platform-design standards. A general contractor, property owner, or employer that directs work on a platform ladder in violation of those standards is typically negligent, and on a New York construction site, strictly liable under Labor Law §240.
How long do I have to file?
Two years in PA, NJ, and NY; three years in MD.
Ready to Fight for Your Rights?
Contact Siddons Law Firm today for your FREE consultation. Call (610) 255-7500. We serve injured clients across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Maryland. No fee unless we win.