Amusement Parks Information Center
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Frequently Asked Questions about Amusement Parks
Q: When an injury occurs on an amusement park ride what legal theories are usually used to help an injured person recover compensation?
A: Amusement and theme park injuries are usually controlled by the law of premises liability, negligence and/or product liability in the state where the amusement park is located or where the injured person lives.
Q: I was injured when I slipped and fell coming off a ride. Do the same rules apply to my injuries as on amusement park rides?
A: Amusement park owners are like any other property owners and they have an obligation to those on their property to use reasonable care to maintain the premises to protect them from hazards that could cause them to slip and fall.
The Consumer Products Safety Commission reports a 95% increase in injuries at fixed-site amusement parks since 1999.
Free info about amusement park accident cases
At Greenberg & Stone, P.A., our attorneys are prepared to devote the necessary amount of time to your case. We use all of our resources in order to get you results for your amusement park accident case. We strive to get full compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages and other costs associated with the accident. We strive to see that those responsible are held accountable for their negligence.
The following is free information about amusement park accident cases:
Amusement Parks - An Overview
Amusement parks, theme parks and traveling carnivals entice millions of visitors each year with promises of safe thrills and family entertainment. Beyond statistics like "number of daily visitors" and "average wait time" are numbers the parks don't want you to see; an increasing trend in annual amusement park injuries. Each year more than 10,000 people visit hospital emergency rooms for injuries suffered on an amusement ride. Amusement park visitors also suffer injuries on amusement park premises and in parking lots. Children are particularly at risk. Injuries range from scrapes and fractures to more serious injuries such as limb loss, paralysis, brain hemorrhage and death.
While some states regulate theme and amusement parks, there is no federal agency and no federal rules establishing minimum safety standards for amusement parks. If you have been injured at an amusement or theme park, chances are that the law of the state where you live or where the injury took place will control any lawsuit you may bring. A personal injury attorney can help you explore your options for obtaining the compensation to which you are entitled. Contact an attorney at Greenberg & Stone, P.A. in Miami, Florida today to schedule a consultation.
When a Child is Injured
Injury statistics from state regulatory agencies and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission show that beyond the promised thrills and chills of amusement park rides, serious dangers await our kids at America's amusement parks. Children under the age of 18 account for more than 50 percent of amusement and theme park injuries suffered by visitors each year. Children between the ages of 7 and 12 suffer the greatest number of injuries, and children under the age of 7 usually suffer the most severe injuries. Injuries range from scrapes and bruises to more serious traumas like broken bones, amputations, brain injuries and many death occur as well.
By understanding the factors that put kids at risk at amusement parks you may help keep your children safe from such accidents. If your child has already suffered an accident at an amusement park, contact an attorney to help you identify potentially liable parties for your child's injuries.
Duties Owed By Property Owners And Possessors
In many states, property owners and possessors owe different degrees of responsibility, or duties, to people who come onto their property, depending on how such people are categorized. The law recognizes three main categories of people who might be on someone else's property: invitees, licensees, and trespassers. In states that still distinguish among these categories of people, the legal duty owed to each category is different. It is important to call an attorney to ask whether these categories and standards of care apply in your state.
Invitees - An invitee is a person who is invited onto property for business reasons, and would include customers of a retail store and job applicants. Property owners owe the highest degree of care to invitees to make sure they are safe from dangers on their property. Under this standard, a property owner not only has a duty to repair and correct known dangers, he also has a duty to reasonably inspect for, discover, and correct hazards in those areas of the premises to which an invitee might have access.
The Hidden Dangers of Roller Coasters
Heart rates are not the only thing soaring at America's amusement parks. Since 1996 independent agencies monitoring amusement park injury rates have noted as much as a 95% increase in injuries occurring on and around amusement park rides. Roller coasters and other thrill rides account for a large portion of this increase and the sometimes-severe injuries their riders experience.
If have suffered an injury on a roller coaster, contact an attorney to help you identify potentially liable parties for your injuries.
In the 1980's the average roller coaster traveled at approximately 55 miles per hour. In the following decade amusement parks began a battle for bragging rights to the highest, fastest and scariest ride. As a result, ride speeds began an upward climb. Today's riders find anything under 70 miles per hour boring and rides with speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour are not uncommon.
Amusement-Slip And Fall Injuries
Slip and fall injuries are, as the name implies, injuries that occur when an individual slips, usually on a foreign substance or as a result of a dangerous condition, and falls. A common slip and fall case involves a plaintiff who is a customer in a grocery store and slips and falls on a grape that has dropped to the floor. The fall causes injuries, such as bruising or broken bones and the plaintiff seeks to hold the store liable. Although the first reaction might be to conclude that the store is liable for the injury, the result is not always so clear. A store, like any owner or possessor of real property, has a duty to exercise reasonable care to maintain the premises to protect lawful visitors. However, a customer must also use reasonable precautions to protect himself or herself from the injury.
If you have suffered slip and fall injury at an amusement park, contact an attorney to help you pursue the compensation to which you are entitled.
Amusement Parks Resource Links
Safer Parks
Comprehensive site with lots of information on amusement park safety, industry trends and relevant research information started by a family whose child was injured at Disneyland.
Web Site of Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey
United States Congressmen committed to amusement park safety and author of pending federal legislation for national regulation of amusement parks.
Jared Costanza's Amusement Ride Accident Reports
and Comprehensive site with up-to-date reports of amusement park accident information detailed industry links.
