Why do so many serious injuries occur at water parks? | DENENA | POINTS

Why do so many serious injuries occur at water parks?

The water park injury attorneys at Denena & Points note that the hot weather has already arrived here in Texas, and families are planning blissful getaways to water parks both near and far. The United States is home to more than 1,000 water parks and that number grows each year.

But the water park amusement industry is one that didn’t even exist just a few short decades ago. Back in my day, we might take a canoe out on the lake, ride a few waves on the coast, or play in the local creek. But high-speed water tube slides and drop slides hadn’t even been imagined yet. Trying a new stunt from the high dive at the local pool was about the most excitement we might expect in the summer. Yes, looking back, it was kinda sad.

But now you don’t need to learn a new dive, plan a new stunt variation, or practice it to perfection to experience a new thrill in the water. Now all the thrills are planned for you.

Our water park injury attorneys point out that many water park rides rely on similar concepts to those behind the roller coasters and extreme rides in other amusement parks. Many rely on gravity to propel you through the ride, and use the water to carry you and lubricate the “track” for you. On a typical extreme water slide, you’re the roller coaster train and the slide is the track. The water might be the oil that greases a train’s wheels.

Summer fun in the water is no passive activity these days. Now it’s very physical. Riders in good physical condition with some stamina and skill fare best on the latest generation of extreme water park rides. But water parks don’t restrict riders according to their physical condition, although that might not be a bad idea. So every age, size, weight, condition, and physical variation (within minimal height and age restrictions) might be found on any ride.

Our water park injury attorneys emphasize that the design principles applied to a water park ride might follow sound engineering parameters but fail to account for variations in a rider’s ability to maintain proper posture and control during a ride. Just as a roller coaster train needs to remain properly positioned on a track as gravity pulls it through its course, so a water slide rider needs to maintain proper positioning on the slide to avoid injury.

A water slide doesn’t offer you any restraint bars, safety belts, or shoulder harnesses to keep you in place. Once you drop into the slide, you’re basically on your own. It’s up to you to maintain the correct posture, control, and position to enjoy the ride and exit it safely. If you become twisted, turned around, or catch a limb on part of the ride, the resulting loss of control over your speed and trajectory can lead to serious or even fatal injury.

Each new advance in extreme water park ride thrills might pose previously unknown hazards to riders. Designers, product testers, and inspectors can only pinpoint some potential problems before the ride begins actual operations under the full range of rider variation. In effect, our water park injury attorneys realize that you become the final product safety tester and guinea pig.

Should you become injured on a water park ride, you might be eligible to obtain just financial compensation for your injuries from water park owners, ride designers and manufacturers, and/or ride operators, among others. An experienced water park injury attorney like Tony Denena or Chad Points could help you identify the precise cause(s) of your accident, who’s liable for your injuries, and how you could effectively present your injury compensation claim. Let us help you obtain the just financial recovery that you deserve after a needless water park accident and injury. Call us today for your free legal consultation. Or use our online contact forms to schedule a consultation at your convenience.