Some Pertinent Facts About Amusement Park Injuries?

It’s well known that amusement parks across the nation provide wonderful thrills for families, but also that, many times, serious accidents and injuries can occur. If you or a loved one suffered an injury at an amusement park, you must know you have legal options.

In most amusement park accidents, children are involved in about half of the injuries reported, with many requiring immediate hospitalizations. Due to the very nature of these parks, most injuries often affect the head, neck, arms, face, or legs and frequently result from improper restraints, lack of sufficient padding, or falls when getting on or off the rides.

Current statistics show that accidents usually occur in most amusement parks due to the negligence of ride operators, safety inspectors, or ride equipment manufacturers. According to a 2016 major news report, U.S. emergency rooms treated approximately 30,900 injuries associated with amusement injuries. These accidents included mobile and fixed-site parks and highlighted the importance of addressing safety lapses to prevent injury and harm to amusement park visitors.

So, as enticing as these parks are to families and children, they often cause serious injury to you or your loved one. If this occurs, the wise and prudent legal path is to obtain the advice of a skilled personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. 

What Are Some Reasons that Amusement Park Accidents Occur?

Most amusement park ride injuries can indeed be minor, resulting in little more than scrapes and bruises; however, many are serious, and approximately 11% cause severe injuries or death.

Suppose your personal injury lawyer proves that your accident was caused by negligence, such as defective machinery, careless ride operators, etc. In that case these cases often result in amusement park lawsuits, with the park and ride owners and corporations eventually compensating victims. 

Just a few of the most common causes of amusement park accidents include:

  • Defective equipment, including negligence due to broken or weak restraints, electrical issues, or other ride malfunctions.
  • Careless or poorly trained operators who didn’t follow the proscribed rules and safety protocols.
  • Lack of regular and proper inspections, leading to mechanical breakdowns and rider injury.
  • High speeds and extreme g-forces caused riders injuries because they weren’t safely secured.
  • Overall, the rides were poorly designed and lacked basic and needed safety features.
  • Wet walkways, moving rides, uneven surfaces caused slip and fall hazards, and more.

These parks can provide fantastic family entertainment, but today’s faster and more complex rides also cause severe and possibly life-changing injuries that can negatively financially burden you and your family for years to come. Your skilled, empathetic, and well-versed personal injury lawyer can help ensure your immediate recovery and long-term treatment are fully compensated.

What Immediate Steps Should I Take After an Accident in an Amusement Park?

You must act quickly to protect your legal rights whenever amusement park accidents happen.

Some of the first steps you should take to assist you in helping to build your case and increase your chances of securing fair compensation are:

  • Report the incident immediately – Notify park staff and management and request a copy of the official accident report for your records.
  • Medical Records and Documentation – Obtain copies of all treatment records and documentation from medical providers about your diagnosis, treatment plan, and costs incurred.
  • Incident reports by amusement park employees – Obtain copies of any internal reports filed by park employees, which will usually detail the date, time, and nature of your accident, such as security footage of the incident and the area around the time of your accident.
  • Document the scene and collect evidence – You or someone else must take photos and videos of the area. This documentation should include the equipment and any seemingly hazardous conditions.
  • Be careful about what you say – Never admit fault or discuss the incident with park staff, insurance personnel, or social media; this will never help your case.

Most importantly, as soon as possible, consult with a qualified, experienced amusement park personal injury lawyer so that you’re fully aware of your rights and explore all your legal options. Your empathetic, thorough, and well-versed lawyer will help guide you through the process, ensure you gather the necessary evidence, and help prove that the amusement park’s negligence contributed to or was the cause of your injury.

Can I Take Legal Action Against an Amusement Park, If I’ve Suffered an Injury on a Ride, etc.?

Delaware law allows amusement park injury victims to seek compensation for damages resulting from the park’s or its employees’ negligence. With the proper professional representation, you may be able to pursue a claim and receive compensation for medical expenses, recovery costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

In any personal injury case, including those in amusement parks, the key factor is continuously determining liability. Usually, all amusement park accidents are considered premises liability cases, holding the park owners responsible for the accident and any subsequent injuries.

This is fundamental to addressing amusement park-related accidents and winning your case.

This is also why all the evidence collected is critical. It can all be used to help your skilled, thorough, and expert personal injury team prove that the park was negligent and demonstrate that they failed to uphold their duty of keeping you and all the park’s clients safe.

Things such as inadequate maintenance, insufficient staff training, faulty equipment, etc., may come into the legal picture. Always remember that the more evidence collected, the stronger the case will be, and your amusement park law team will obtain the compensation you need to recover and thrive.

Amusement parks commonly have insurance for these types of accidents, and dealing and negotiating with these companies is another critical part of your case. This process is highly challenging and another of the paramount reasons to have a seasoned amusement park lawyer with expert negotiation skills on your side.

I’ve Been Injured In An Amusement Park; How Should I Proceed?

After an accident, when you are injured, you commonly feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. You will face unexpected medical bills, lost wages, and other financial challenges that you and your family were not expecting.

This is why the professional and knowledgeable help of a Delaware personal injury lawyer is mandatory for the success of your case and your family’s future.

The Delaware personal injury lawyers at Schwartz & Schwartz Attorneys at Law, P.A. will professionally and passionately navigate this complex legal process and constantly endeavor to get the full compensation you rightfully deserve.

Call them today at 855-847-8437, and they will provide you with a free case review of your unique situation and provide the elite, empathetic, and professional legal representation you must have to move confidently forward.