Akron attorney Paul Perantinides, representing family of boy killed in elevator, helps spearhead new legislation.
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2022
AKRON, Ohio — Today North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed House Bill 619, titled “Weston’s Law,” to improve the safety of residential elevators in cottages and short-term rental homes throughout the state.
The bill, which the state Senate and House of Representatives passed unanimously, is named after Weston Androw, a 7-year-old boy from Stark County, Ohio, who was killed last year when he was entrapped between the outer and inner doors of an elevator in a vacation rental home in Corolla, N.C.
To prevent such tragedies, the bill requires that the gap between the landing and car doors for residential elevators in vacation cottages and short-term rentals be no more than 4 inches. To achieve this, property owners must install space guards to fill the gap between the doors, reducing the risk of child entrapment.
The name “Weston’s Law” was suggested by attorney Paul Perantinides, founding partner at Perantinides & Nolan law firm in Akron, Ohio, who along with co-counsel Stacy Miller of the Miller Law Group in Raleigh, N.C., is representing the Androw family to resolve all claims against the elevator manufacturer and other parties.
“It was important to our firm, and to Weston’s parents, David and Timeka, that Weston’s life be remembered and serve as a catalyst for change,” Perantinides said. “This unspeakable tragedy should never be experienced by another family ever again. We believe that this law will make a difference not only in the lives of children and their families, but also in the lives of manufacturers, installers, inspectors, homeowners, and rental agents. This is a major victory for everyone.”
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, residential elevators have been linked to 4,600 injuries and 22 deaths from 1981 through 2019. Three children, including Weston, were entrapped in the summer of 2021.
“We’re so thankful for the efforts of Mr. Perantinides, Mr. Miller, Senator Todd Johnson — who introduced this bill in the state Senate — and the others responsible for passing this law in memory of our son,” David Androw said. “While this law cannot bring Weston back, it can bring us the comfort of knowing that lives will be saved, that other families will not have to endure the pain of losing their children in these horrific, preventable accidents.”
David and his wife, Timeka, hope to see similar laws adopted nationwide.
“It means so much to us that our voices, and the voices of other parents who have been crying out for something to be done about this problem, are finally being heard,” Timeka said. “I hope that Weston’s Law will inspire other legislators, and the residential elevator industry, to take action and end this problem once and for all.”
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For more than 50 years, the law firm of Perantinides & Nolan has been providing professional, caring, quality legal services to clients throughout Northeast Ohio. Its attorneys represent clients in all areas of personal injury and medical malpractice and have helped countless people achieve justice and financial compensation through scrupulous, honest, and dedicated legal representation.
If you are interested in this story, please contact Mr. Perantinides at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 330-436-0470.
