By Joshua Perry
A trip to the amusement park is supposed to be fun for everyone who visits the park. Unfortunately, injuries can and do happen at amusement parks. These injuries can occur from things such as rides not being adequately maintained and supervised, the property grounds not being adequately maintained and repaired, and staff with improper training operating the amusement rides and park equipment.
In 2021, there were an estimated 1,224 ride-related injuries in North American theme parks, with 130 of those injuries being considered serious ride-related injuries according to the National Safety Council’s latest ride safety report for IAAPA. Serious injuries include fatalities as well as injuries requiring immediate hospitalization for more than 24 hours for reasons beyond observation. Some of the more common amusement park injuries include whiplash, neck injuries, head injuries, fall-related injuries, bone fractures, and amputations.
If you or a family member are hurt while at an amusement park, be sure to seek appropriate medical care for your injuries. Take note of the surroundings and if there is surveillance video of where the injury occurred. Park staff may fill out an incident report related to the injury. Be sure to note if there are any witnesses or people who assisted after the injury. Take note of whether the injuries were treated by amusement park medical staff and whether the person injured was transported to the hospital in an ambulance.
If you were provided with a ticket for entry into the amusement park or signed a waiver upon admission to the park, there may be some important considerations surrounding the waiver. While it is important to evaluate such a waiver, the amusement park does not obtain a blanket waiver for all injuries that occur as a result of your visit to the park. If possible, obtain a copy of any waiver.
If you have been injured while attending an amusement park and need assistance in determining if you can recover compensation for your injuries, give O’Donnell Law Offices a call at (570) 821-5717 and allow our team of skilled lawyers to assist you in evaluating your claim.
###
Sources:
National Safety Counsel (2022). NORTH AMERICA FIXED-SITE AMUSEMENT RIDE
INJURY SURVEY, 2021 UPDATE.