Theme Park Accident Lawyers

• Personal Injury
• Theme Park Accident Lawyers

Amusement park injuries

Amusement park injuries can be serious and life-threatening. Roller coaster accident injuries and personal injuries sustained on other rides include traumatic brain injury, back and neck injury, whiplash, broken bones, heart attack and internal injuries. Injuries can also occur when park guests suffer falls from rides, such as an 11-year-old who died in an amusement park accident after falling from a Ferris wheel.

Amusement park accidents occur in all types of amusement parks include large-scale parks, such as Disneyland, Six Flags, and Schlitterbahn, as well as smaller venues like traveling carnivals, animal parks, state fairs and school carnivals. Accidents can involve park guests and outsourced workers who maintain the grounds.

Amusement park accidents can even happen at local events that supply amusement park-style attractions. One such incident occurred in New York, when a gust of wind caused inflatable bounce houses to become airborne with children inside. Thirteen children were injured, including one young girl who suffered spinal injuries and was listed in critical condition. One study shows 30 children a day suffer bounce house injuries that require medical attention.

International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, there were approximately 1,415 ride-related injuries in the US in 2011. Five percent of all ride injuries were considered serious, meaning they required some form of overnight treatment at a hospital. However, not all injuries are obvious immediately following the accident. For example, a person could suffer what seems like a minor neck injury while on a ride only to discover days later that she has whiplash. Or a person could experience stomach pain while on a ride only discovering later that she has internal injuries.

Traveling carnivals and street fairs have their own risks. Many of them run electrical wiring on the ground, where people can easily trip over the wires or, in extreme cases, step in the wrong spot and receive electrical shocks or burns. Furthermore, the rides and attractions are put up and taken down regularly, leaving them open to the possibility that they might not be properly set up, resulting in injury to carnival goers. The continual setup and break down of rides can also lead to wear and tear on machinery and parts resulting in possible ride malfunction and injury.

Premises Liability

The people who own and operate amusement parks have a legal responsibility to ensure the people who visit their parks are not injured. That includes ensuring the property and the attractions on the property are properly maintained and kept in a reasonably safe condition. If an amusement park injury occurs, the injured person may be able to sue for compensation. Legal responsibility for harm done to visitors could rest on the amusement park owner, the ride designer or manufacturer, the ride operator or a concession stand owner. Among claims made against defendants are wrongful death, negligence, slip and fall injury (premises liability) and defective product claims.

Contact Miller Weisbrod Olesky

If you or a loved one were seriously injured or killed due to negligent maintenance or security at an amusement park, Miller Weisbrod Olesky, LLP can help you understand your rights and evaluate your options in filing a premises liability claim or lawsuit.

We invite you to call our home offices in Dallas at (214) 987-0005 or toll free at (888) 987-0005. Your consultation with a leading personal injury trial lawyer will be free. You may also contact us by e-mail today to schedule an appointment or for prompt attention to your important questions.