Amusement park injury lawyers know that occasional dramatic accidents on roller coasters, water slides, and other amusement park rides dot the news media. The coverage is often intense when there’s a catastrophic or fatal injury on the ride. But the largest category of personal injury claims against amusement park ride venues involve ordinary slip and fall injuries. These injuries account for approximately 33% of all amusement park injury claims, according to a study in the Orange County Register.
A patron might fall on a slick floor, slip on a spilled drink, become unsteady exiting an exciting ride, fall over an unnoticed curb, or trip on uneven pavement. And because amusement parks are under some pressure to avoid negative publicity and long, public court cases, many injury claims get settled quietly out of court. Another large group of claims, including many of the slip and fall cases, get dismissed for lack of merit.
Disneyland in Anaheim, CA has been the target of almost 140 personal injury lawsuits since 2007. Nearby Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA, a venue with a name that doesn’t call to mind any particular threat of injury, has been hit with 50 of the lawsuits.
Rarely do personal injury claims against major entities like amusement parks go to trial. When they do end up in court, the injured claimants, up against powerful and well-funded defense teams, don’t often win. Injury claims against amusement parks involve complex considerations and elements of proof. Indeed, the Orange County Register found that Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm each lost only one jury trial on an injury claim since 2007. That’s a pretty solid record.
To increase your chances of making a successful personal injury claim after you’ve been hurt at an amusement park, contact an amusement park injury lawyer with actual, winning experience in the field. Contact the experienced amusement park injury lawyers at Denena & Points for a free and confidential initial consultation.
Water park accident attorneys realize that you’ve probably heard of chlorine and might even know a fair amount about the substance. You probably encounter it every day: in drinking water, salt, swimming pools, and at water parks for instance. Here our water park accident attorneys present a few interesting facts about chlorine and chlorine toxicity that you might not be aware of:
Chlorine is one of the most useful elements on Earth, a workhorse among the common elements. Chlorine compounds can be found in our water supplies as well as in many of our food products, for example: salt. Our water park accident attorneys emphasize that we couldn’t live without chlorine. But we also can’t live with too much of it.
Be careful how much chlorine you put in your pool. Once you exceed the amount the water will absorb, chlorine escapes as a gas. And you definitely don’t want a chlorine gas cloud hanging over your pool party. While it would be colorful, it also might be the very last colorful thing you see. Chlorine toxicity can easily kill.
If you’ve suffered injury at a pool or a water park, kindly give us a call. We’re here to help you. We’re experienced water park accident attorneys. We could help you in your quest for fair compensation if you’ve suffered an unexpected accident on your day of summer fun in the water.
Roller coaster injury attorneys report that a 34-year-old man received multiple injuries when he attempted an emergency exit from a ride that had just started at Tokyo Disney on Wednesday. Our roller coaster injury attorneys note that the injuries were reported as minor, but still might take several weeks of recovery before the man is able to walk and function again as normal. The injured man attempted to exit the roller coaster ride because his shoulder safety harness was not latched.
Apparently, the ride operator had released the shoulder harnesses prior to the ride in order to secure an improperly latched harness o an empty seat. Passengers were subsequently supposed to pull their shoulder harnesses down and re-latch them. And ride operators were supposed to go around and check that all safety harnesses were properly secured prior to sending the Raging Spirits roller coaster ride off on its journey.
Clearly this did not happen. The 34-year-old man had apparently not secured his shoulder harness as necessary. And Tokyo Disney ride operators neglected to go around, discover his error, and correct it for him.
Our roller coaster injury attorneys find the man’s fright at remaining unsecured as the roller coaster ride launched into motion perfectly understandable. Most modern amusement park rides are designed to be frightening, no matter how well secured you are in your seat. That’s the thrill that riders pay for. And riders generally agree that they want to pay for their rides in coin and adrenaline, not in injuries and consequent medical bills. The minor injuries that the man received at Tokyo Disney in jumping from the Raging Spirits roller coaster ride might be nothing compared to the more serious ones he might have received had he remained in his seat without a proper safety harness.
The roller coaster dragged the man by the leg for about two meters after he attempted his exit. The Raging Spirits ride was subsequently closed down for an accident investigation and safety inspections. The roller coaster travels at high speed through a 360-degree loop, among its other twists and drops. Imagine taking that ride without a safety harness!
If you’ve been injured on a roller coaster or other amusement ride and you need help, contact our experienced roller coaster injury attorneys for a free and confidential legal consultation. We’re among the small handful of attorneys with actual practical experience handling roller coaster accident cases, and we’ve been successful in helping to secure multi-million dollar settlements for our injured clients. Call 877-307-9500 (toll free) or use our convenient web contact features to schedule your consultation/case evaluation.
Concert injury lawyers note that concert organizers and local officials in Washington D.C. have perhaps taken heed of the disaster resulting from last summer’s delay in canceling a concert and evacuating people from the Indiana State Fair in advance of a storm invoking high winds. The Sunday Memorial Day concert on Washington Mall in Washington, D.C. was cancelled about halfway through as a line of severe thunderstorms with potentially high winds moved into the area.
The choice to cancel the concert, an event with big name acts that is typically broadcast nationwide by PBS, was no small decision. But concertgoers were advised to leave the premises and seek shelter due to the severe weather moving in.
The deadly stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair, which claimed 7 lives and injured dozens of others, has spawned a series of safety discussions and new rules, regulations, policies, and procedures designed to prevent future, similar disasters. Since the deadly weather-related Indiana concert disaster, other weather-related outdoor event collapses have made the news around the country and around the world. Our concert injury lawyers have written about a few of these events, most recently a fatal stage collapse in Israel.
We’re relieved to see that the fatal Indiana stage collapse has led to a heightened concern for concertgoer safety and severe weather evacuations to prevent injury and fatality. Read about some of the new safety precautions taking effect because of the Indiana stage collapse in our linked article.
The Houston pool injury lawyers at Denena & Points note that the Friday drowning death in a Houston apartment complex pool that had just reopened after winter provides a tragic reminder of the ever-present dangers to children from the water. News accounts reported that 6-year-old Jasmin Brown had been swimming in the pool and went under the water but did not resurface. Adults around the pool pulled the girl from the water, and tried to help her with CPR until first responders arrived. But the 6-year-old did not survive.
Young children face many dangers in the pool, such as depths that could overwhelm their swimming ability and powerful drain systems that could trap them underwater. Apartment pools generally do not provide lifeguards or safety equipment beyond what’s legally required. It’s left mostly up to you to oversee your child’s safety in the water. We remind you of some precautions you could take to help ensure your child’s safety in the pool this summer:
Many accidents are preventable. By taking adequate safety precautions and providing your child with water safety knowledge in advance, you could enhance your child’s safety in the pool. If your child suffers injury in a pool and you need help, contact our dedicated Houston pool injury lawyers for a free and confidential legal consultation. Our skill and experience could provide your path to a fair financial recovery following your child’s undeserved accident.
It’s the end of an era for roller coaster enthusiasts at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH. The venerable WildCat roller coaster is being removed from the amusement park and will be notably absent beginning with the 2012 season. Cedar Park notes that the WildCat roller coaster had reached the end of its useful life. Maintenance costs had become prohibitive, ridership had decreased as enthusiasts sought out newer and more exciting coasters, and collisions in recent years had injured WildCat riders.
The WildCat, which began operating at Cedar Point I 1970, once occupied a post right across from the Iron Dragon roller coaster. The WildCat was an 85 second roller coaster ride that offered riders four-passenger cars that raced along the track at 40 mph. In 2008 and 2011, riders suffered injuries when some of the Wildcat’s cars collided. The collisions shut down the ride temporarily. And careful consideration resulted in the conclusion this year to finally shut the coaster down permanently. The coaster/’s components are now heading to a recycling plant.
But Cedar Point reassures patrons that they won’t be disappointed by the loss of the WildCat. In its place, the amusement park has developed Celebration Plaza, which will feature Luminosity, a spectacular light show designed to light up the night. New paint and lighting systems throughout the park will enhance guest experiences at Cedar Point according to spokespeople for Cedar Point. And a new water slide and animatronic dinosaur exhibit complete the year’s upgrades.
Roller coaster enthusiasts respect Cedar Point as the park that once held the largest number of roller coasters at 17. Currently, Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA holds the record with 18 roller coasters. The most recent coaster opened just last summer in July 2011.
Cedar Point’s decision to remove the WildCat is a responsible step in the face of the aging coaster’s increasing propensity to malfunction and cause injuries. The injuries suffered in the 2008 and 2011 collisions on the WildCat were relatively minor. But roller coasters, with their high speeds and even higher drops can easily cause fatal injuries if not properly designed, maintained, and operated.
Aging coasters, particularly the relatively rare wooden ones, have the highest maintenance costs and issues. So our roller coaster injury attorneys realize that Cedar Point took the wisest course when it took the aging Cat coaster out of service. That action might have prevented countless further injuries and even some fatalities.
If you or a family suffers injuries on a roller coaster or other amusement park ride and you need help addressing your mounting medical costs and extended period of time out of work recovering from your injuries, contact our roller coaster injury attorneys for a complimentary legal consultation.
At Denena & Points, we are among the small handful of injury attorneys in the nation to have actual, hands-on experience successfully obtaining large financial recoveries for victims injured or killed on roller coasters. Our well-hones legal skills and practical knowledge could help you obtain the financial recovery you need to move forward after your roller coaster accident. Call us toll free at 877-307-9500 or use our online contact features to make your appointment for a free legal consultation.
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.
The ride accident attorneys at Denena & Points report that the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions) states that 1,086 amusement ride injuries occurred in 2009 in the United States. The Association considered 65 of those amusement ride accidents “serious.” But you should note that the IAAPA statistics only include injuries that occurred on fixed site amusement rides.
Fixed site rides are those at permanent theme park attractions like Six Flags and Disneyland. Accidents on the amusement rides at, for instance, the Texas State Fair and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) go unreported in IAAPA statistics.
So the fatal fall of a roller coaster rider at the HLSR in 2010 and the severe injury fall of a 3-year-old girl at the HLSR in 2011 are not even included in the IAAPA statistics. And because they move all over the country, and receive repeated disassembly and assembly sometimes by unqualified workers, the traveling amusement rides are likely far more dangerous to the rider than those at fixed site permanent theme parks.
But the IAAPA says that amusement park guests rode 1.7 billion rides in 2009. So the rate of injuries from amusement park rides, at least at fixed sites, remains relatively low. But as with any type of generally reassuring statistic, if you are the statistic, there is little comfort for you in the overall low number.
If you were injured on an unsafe amusement ride, contact our experienced ride accident attorneys for a free and confidential legal consultation. Our knowledgeable attorneys are among the very few injury attorneys in the nation to have practical, hands on experience handling high profile amusement ride accidents on behalf of injured clients in need of help. Call us toll free at 877-307-9500 or use our convenient online contact features to reach us.
The State Fair injury attorneys at Denena & Points are pleased that reports are finally in from the two main investigating groups hired to detail the causes of the deadly Indiana State Fair stage collapse. The reports also recommend ways to prevent future similar disasters. Witt Associates and Thornton Tomasetti, companies specialized in engineering and emergency management and planning, have issued detailed findings and recommendations regarding the Indiana State Fair stage collapse.
Thornton Tomasetti said that the metal riggings that supported stage speakers and lights did not meet industry safety standards. The standards required that the rigging structure be able to withstand wind gusts of 68 mph. Our State Fair injury attorneys note that the wind gusts had only reached 59 mph when the stage collapsed, killing 7 people and injuring dozens more in the chaotic disaster. And once gravity had set the collapse in motion, the structure could not support itself and nothing could prevent the disaster from claiming innocent lives.
The stage collapse occurred moments before the band Sugarland was scheduled to perform. Allegations still point to the band’s manager for insisting that the scheduled concert go on rather than delaying or canceling it on account of weather. Witt Associates says that a lack of adequate emergency preparation and safety plans resulted in an “ambiguity of authority” at the event. This ambiguity compounded the effect of the bad decision on the part of the Sugarland band manager and event personnel. The lack of clarity regarding authority and emergency procedures resulted in uncertainty and confusion where public safety was concerned as State Fair and concert event officials debated over whether to postpone or cancel the concert because of advancing storms.
Concerts, State Fairs, and amusement parks all bring large groups of people together in close quarters for exciting events. Our State Fair injury attorneys emphasize that officials and event organizers have a duty to ensure the safety of the large groups of people they urge to pay for and attend their events.
If you were injured due to negligence, poor emergency planning, or inadequate safety procedures at a large public venue, contact our State Fair injury attorneys for a free and confidential legal consultation. We’re among the very few injury lawyers in the nation to have actual practical experience helping the injured victims of such high-profile disasters.
Our knowledgeable counsel could provide you with the information you need to make sound decisions regarding the future of yourself and your family after you’ve received injuries at a public entertainment event. Learn how you can obtain a full financial recovery for your undeserved injuries. Call today or contact us online.
Our amusement park injury lawyers wrote some months back about a case involving the disabling permanent injury of Old West reenactment actor Scott Harris by a live bullet in a Wild West gunfight at a New Jersey theme park in 2006. The theme park is Wild West City in Byram, NJ.
Scott Harris was playing the part of Wyatt Earp in the famed Gunfight at the OK Corral when the 17-year-old actor firing at “Wyatt Earp” struck him in the head with a live round. The young actor firing the bullet had been insufficiently trained and accidentally loaded his gun with live rounds left in a locker by another theme park employee rather than the blanks that the skit called for. Scott Harris has been partially paralyzed ever since the accident.
Our amusement park injury lawyers clarify that the prosecutors had two goals in the case: ensuring increased safety at the theme park, and getting park owners and operators to accept responsibility for the tragic accident. An article in the New Jersey Herald states that the court case resulting from the tragic accident has resulted in several plea deals.
Our amusement park injury lawyers note that the theme park’s enhanced safety measures comprise:
If you or a loved one were injured at a theme park, feel free to contact our amusement park injury lawyers for a legal consultation about your accident. Your free initial consultation and case evaluation could provide you with the knowledgeable counsel you need to make informed decisions regarding steps to take after an undeserved injury. Learn what you need to do to obtain a full financial recovery after your accident from those who caused your injury. Call or contact us online today.