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Elevator passengers settle lawsuit

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Two women who claimed to have fallen about 11 stories while inside a malfunctioning elevator in Irvine have settled a lawsuit against the elevator manufacturer and the Irvine Co.

Janet Hsu and her mother, Sufeir Hsu, reached a confidential settlement with ThyssenKrupp Elevator Corp. and the Newport Beach-based Irvine Co. last month, according to court records.

According to their claim, filed June 22, 2011, the two were aboard an elevator inside the Irvine Co.-owned high-rise business complex at 1 Park Plaza. Suddenly, after reaching the 11th or 12th floor, the elevator lost control and dropped to below the first floor, according to the court papers.

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The Hsus said they suffered injuries and emotional trauma, and also objected to being forced to wait an hour for a repairman to open the stuck doors.

They claimed that amounted to false imprisonment, according to an article in the Orange County Register, which also included a statement from the Irvine Co.: “The safety of our office customers and their guests is our No. 1 priority.”

A state spokesman told the Orange County Register at the time that all seven elevators at 1 Park Plaza passed inspections before and after the incident.

—Jon Cassidy

Twitter: @TheDailyPilot

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