Houston carnival ride injury attorneys recall that only a few days ago, a 3-year-old girl fell from the Techno Jump ride at the Houston Rodeo Carnival and landed on her head. The Rodeo’s account of the event was somewhat skimpy on details and, as it turned out, maybe not entirely accurate. Video had captured the girl’s fall, and the video grabbed headlines on Friday. Some differences between the Rodeo’s account of the incident and the video’s account include:
Our Houston carnival ride injury lawyers realize that the Rodeo’s erroneous statements might just have been simple errors. Anyone can make minor errors, and most of us do. But nonetheless, it makes one wonder what other inaccuracies are hiding in Rodeo statements about carnival accidents that occur there.
The Houston Chronicle reports that following the little girl’s fall from the Techno Jump ride, the Rodeo Carnival changed its policies on quite a few rides to ensure that young riders under 48 inches tall be accompanied by a companion at least 16 years of age. And bungee jump participants must be at least 16.
The relatives of the little girl that feel from the ride are saying that she received a concussion from the fall (which seems quite likely since she fell head and face first into a metal platform from a distance of at least 6 feet). Her relatives said that the girl’s behavior has changed since the accident.
Our Houston carnival ride injury lawyers point out that recent years have seen new scrutiny regarding the effects of concussions on children. The scrutiny derives mainly from the aftereffects of injuries sustained by young athletes, but has also been applied in studies of young traffic accident victims. Concerned medical professionals and school officials have increasingly noted that concussions can have strong effects on a child’s behavior, physical capacities, and learning abilities.
The injury suffered by the little girl at the Rodeo Carnival presents some cause for concern. A concussion in a child whose brain is still in its early years of development could show some effects that might not be apparent until she enters primary school.
The Rodeo’s belated step to ensure that young children receive adequate supervision on the carnival rides might well serve to prevent future falls and debilitating injuries in developing children. Unfortunately, the policy change comes too late for one little girl. The Houston carnival ride injury attorneys at Denena & Points hope that the girl recovers swiftly from the effects of her fall and suffers no lingering aftereffects from the concussion. To learn more about the long-term effects of concussion, read our articles on traumatic brain injury.