In our most recent post we introduced a study about the high number of injuries sustained by children because of amusement rides. More than 92,000 children ended up in emergency rooms between 1990 and 2010 for ride-related injuries.
The report also found that the majority of these injuries result from falls. Such a fall may result in injury if a person falls out of a ride, if someone falls on him or her or if he or she falls while boarding or exiting the ride. Other common causes of injury in this environment include people hitting a part of their bodies on ride equipment or foreign objects hitting people while they are on rides.
These injuries can be serious, particularly for children. An impact like hitting a limb on a metal beam as your body is hurled forward at fast speeds or falling from several stories high can result in brain injury, spinal trauma, amputation or even death.
If you or your child are injured in such a situation it may be possible to bring a civil personal injury claim for damages against the responsible party. Those damages may include medical bills, pain and suffering, or lost wages if you are forced to miss work.
For example, if a ride operator fails to secure a person’s safety belt and they are thrown from a ride, there may be a claim for negligence against the operator. Ride workers are trusted with people’s safety every day and it is their job to take reasonable care that no one gets hurt. It is also possible to bring a premises liability claim against the park itself if it failed to perform the necessary safety testing or otherwise caused an unsafe ride to be used.
If you are injured as a result of someone else’s negligence consider getting in touch with an experienced personal injury attorney.
Source: News-Medical, “New study examines injuries to children related to amusement park rides,” May 2, 2013
