Rhode Island General Laws Title 23. Health and Safety § 23-33-26. Civil liability for injuries resulting from noncompliance

In all cases in which any person shall suffer injury or in which the death of any person shall ensue in consequence of the failure of the lessee or owner or owners of any building to comply with the provisions of this chapter, or in consequence of the failure of the lessee or owner or owners to comply with the written notice and requirement of any compliance inspector, when made in conformity to the provisions of this chapter the lessee and owner or owners shall be jointly and severally liable to any person so injured in an action for damages for the injury; and in case of death the lessee and owner or owners shall be jointly and severally liable in damages for the injury caused by the death of the person, to be recovered by action in the same manner and for the benefit of the same persons as is provided in § 10-7-2; which action, when the lessee and the owner are nonresidents, may be commenced by attachment. It shall be no defense to the action that the person injured, or whose death ensues, had knowledge that any elevator or other device subject to the provisions of this chapter was being operated in the building contrary to the provisions of this chapter, or that the person continued to ride in or on the elevator or device with that knowledge.