The 23-year-old, who was with friends, had returned to the block of flats on Cambridge Heath Road, east London, on September 9, 2019.
As he and seven others entered the lift, it began to shudder and descend with the doors still open.
The man attempted to escape but was crushed between the ground floor and the top of the lift.
His injuries were so severe that he later needed a liver transplant.
Nofax Enterprises Limited, which was the property manager for the five-storey block, was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The investigation found that the company failed to act on defects with the lift identified by a third party.
This failure resulted in serious harm to the member of the public.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc.
Act 1974.
At Southwark Crown Court on July 22, 2025, it was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £8,540 in costs.
HSE inspector Pippa Knott said: “As a result of this company’s failures, a young man who was simply returning from a night out with friends has suffered life-changing injuries.
“The fine imposed on Nofax Enterprises Limited should underline to everyone in property management that the courts, and HSE, take these failures extremely seriously.
“We will not hesitate to take action against companies which do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”
According to the HSE, health and safety law places specific obligations on those providing, controlling, and using lifting equipment.
Guidance is available on how to manage these risks properly.
Lifts should undergo thorough examinations by a competent person every six months, and any defects posing a danger should be remedied before use.
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Nathan Cook and paralegal officer David Shore.
