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Amusement Park Ride Failures Cause Unwanted Thrills

Thoughts of a day at the amusement park usually conjure up feelings of exhilaration. Sure, there is some fear involved, but it belongs to the thrill of the rollercoaster as it plunges and loops, taking its passengers by surprise. What most of us do not consider is the amusement park rides can actually carry a very real threat - one that can cause real injury or even wrongfuldeath. A post from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that in 2000, 10,580 Americans were treated in the emergency room due to amusement park accidents.
roller coaster
The fact is that theme park accidents can be terrifying. These rides are set up to be stimulating; therefore, they involve height, speed, drops, loops, darkness and many other potentially dangerous situations. While they are supposed to be properly constructed, tested prior to operation and regularly maintained, sometimes this is not always the case.

Are There Rules?
SaferParks.org outlines some of these regulations that are designed to protect consumers from premises liability injuries. Parks have the option to post signs or verbally warn patrons of rules and regulations of each ride. If a ride malfunctions because a patron was not following the outlined rules and the patron is injured, he may be found at least partially at fault for his injuries. However, there are times when a theme park accident is completely due to negligence on the part of the park staff.

An article on RideAccidents.com detailed such an accident. A rollercoaster with two trains that follow different parts of the track simultaneously, had a major accident when one train stalled and the other collided with it at a high speed. The malfunction resulted in 21 people being injured, including whiplash, back injuries and broken bones.

How Do I Protect Myself?
While some amusement park accidents are unavoidable, there are things patrons can do to help reduce their risk. ThemeParkInsider.com offers some tips for riders. The first piece of advice is to be aware of the surroundings. Also, they note that patrons should heed warnings that certain areas are off limits to the public. Many of these areas can be dangerous to those who are untrained in park safety and operation. Always read and follow restrictions on park signs. These postings are up to help ensure patrons remain safe.

In addition, if a patron is unsure about the safety restrictions of a certain ride, she should ask a park employee for clarification before boarding the ride. Keeping limbs within the car of the ride and staying seated are important safety rules, as well as keeping in the middle of the seat, as much as possible. Lastly, warning theme park employees of anything out of the ordinary can go a long way to help maintain safety.

A day at the amusement park should be fun and light-hearted. While most will have this experience, accidents do happen and injuries can be the result. If you have been injured in an amusement park accident may be a premise liability issue. Contact our team of premise liability attorneys and will asses your case free of charge.