Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Fitness Trainer Partially Paralyzed In Elevator Freefall Files Lawsuit
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 6, 2012
Modified Jan 6, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 6, 2012
Modified Jan 6, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A fitness trainer who was badly injured in a freak elevator accident in November has filed a lawsuit against the landlord of his building and two elevator companies—and, yup, one of the companies is Transel, whom you may recall from such horrifying elevator accidents as the woman who was crushed to death at her Madison Avenue office building last month. Corey Hill, a dancer and beloved fitness trainer known for his high energy and enthusiasm, saw his life radically change on November 11th after he stepped onto the elevator in his midtown west apartment building and pressed the button for the lobby. That's when the car started free-falling.
"[It was] the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life," Hill, 34, tells the Post. "I’ve sky-dived and done other things in my life, but I’ve never been scared like that." The elevator then jerked to a stop, and Hill thought he was going to be okay. The property manager tells the Daily News that Hill "spoke with the concierge afterward. He said he did not need medical or police attention. No ambulance was called."
But the next day, Hill awoke to find that he could barely walk, and soon lost most of the feeling in his legs. He was diagnosed with paresis, in which the brain doesn’t communicate with the legs properly, and was at Beth Israel for over two weeks. He now needs braces to get around, and according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the News, Hill is so afraid of taking the elevator that he relies on bodybuilder friends to carry him up 26 flights to his apartment!
Hill is suing the property manager, Century Vertical Systems and Transel Elevator, which had been working on an elevator just before the horrifying accident that killed a Madison Avenue ad executive last month. He's been unemployed since the accident, has fallen behind on his rent, and says his landlord has begun eviction proceedings. According to the property manager, his lawsuit "is without merit and we have video evidence that confirms it." (A spokesman for Transel tells us, "While Transel Elevators may have been named in that lawsuit, they have not done work on the elevators in that building since April 1, 2010.")
But Hill is still undergoing physical therapy, and it's unclear if he'll be able to walk again without assistance, let alone lead one of his beloved exercise dance classes. One of Hill's students tells us, "I have attended Corey's classes at Equinox weekly for the past five years, and benefited tremendously from both his method and upbeat perspective. We are all devastated by Corey's accident and miss him dearly. His life's work was dance and fitness, both of which have now been taken from him, as he is no longer teaching. Transel should be shut down."
Last month Hill sent an email out to everyone who has taken his classes vowing, "Those of you who know me, know I am strong and ALWAYS push the limits and NEVER sit and wait for things to come to me. I only know the word CAN and not cannot. I WILL get through this and be back KICKN ASS in a NY minute!"
Tagged
corey hill
elevator accident
fitness
transel
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYPD: 2 suspects in off-duty officer stabbing tried to rob victim
It’s unclear if the attackers knew the victim was NYPD.
By
Jill Webb
Published Oct 3, 2026 at 2:01 p.m. ET
Astoria-born Chip City announces sudden closure days after former CEO sues
The company blamed ‘macro-economic headwinds.’ The co-founder is suing over compensation.
By
Catalina Gonella
News
Astoria-born Chip City announces sudden closure days after former CEO sues
The company blamed ‘macro-economic headwinds.’ The co-founder is suing over compensation.
By
Catalina Gonella
US judge tosses Trump lawsuit targeting pro-Palestinian protesters in NJ
By
Willow Higgins
A big, bright Saturn will be the highlight of NYC's fall stargazing season
By
Rosemary Misdary
NYC tow companies busted for ripping off drivers must give $67K in refunds, city says
By
Liam Quigley
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .