Amusement Park Injuries

 Posted on June 20, 2016 in Personal Injury

The ending of May is always a large milestone between the spring and summer seasons. Typically launched at the end of the traditional school year and Memorial Day celebrations, the summer vacation season is known for being a choice time for travel and family adventures. For thousands of tourists annually, an amusement park is the ideal vacation destination. Although the experience is intended to be a fun and perhaps even a thrilling venture, for too many, the end result is an amusement park injury.

Statistics

When making vacation decisions, it may be useful to consider some quantitative facts. In 2014, statistics showed that ultimately visitors were more likely to be injured in a roller coaster accident than becoming the victim of a shark attack. Some other recent vacation statistics include:

• Approximately 335 million guests safely rode 1.6 billion rides in 2014;
• The odds of being seriously injured on one of these rides is one in 16 million, compared to one in 200,000 odds of being injured while camping;
• 1,150 ride related injuries were reported in 2014, down from 2,044 reported in 2003 from 118 data reporting parks; and
• Of deaths reported due to fixed rides, roller coasters comprise 27.6% while spinning rides only 13.6%.

Do Your Part to Stay Safe

Safety is the responsibility of everyone. While the employees at such destinations are required to uphold strict safety measures, it is also our duty as patrons to be sure to do everything within our own power to prevent an injury from occurring. A few common guidelines to reduce the risk of injury include:

• Obey the listed health, weight, height, and age requirements;
• Keep all extremities (hands, feet, arms, etc) inside the ride or vehicle at all times;
• Read and understand all posted safety guidelines;
• Listen to any verbal or pre-recorded instructions;
• Riding while impaired either with alcohol, drugs, or otherwise should never occur;
• Just like on an airplane, bus or any other vehicle, remain seated and strapped in until you are given instruction to do otherwise;
• Parents are responsible for children and should strive to ensure that their child understands and can abide by safety guidelines;
• Do not force anyone to ride a ride they do not want to ride; and
• Be vigilant of unsafe behavior or operation and alert staff immediately.

Just as it is your duty to maintain safety standards, it is absolutely of the utmost importance that the ride operators and other staff at a theme park are doing their part to be sure that rides are operational and safe for trusting, fun seeking visitors to enjoy. If you have followed the aforementioned guidelines and still sustained injuries while visiting an amusement park, you may be interested in seeking legal aid.

Depending on the circumstances surrounding the events that resulted in injury or death, you may have the option pursuing a premises liability claim. If you are interested in discussing the details of your situation with an experienced and knowledgeable San Jose, CA personal injury attorney, contact The Law Office of John J. Garvey, III today at  408-293-7777 to schedule your free initial consultation. All cases are handled on a contingency fee basis.

Sources:

http://www.iaapa.org/safety-and-advocacy/safety/amusement-ride-safety

http://www.iaapa.org/docs/default-source/safety/ride-safety-report-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=0

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11782733