A recent news item pointed out that the ride attendant who closed Ms. Rosy Esparza into her seat on the Texas Giant before a fatal roller coaster accident had only been on the job for four days at the time. The story also pointed out that a more experienced ride operator was with him on the job at the roller coaster. (Marjorie Owens, WFAA Dallas, by way of kvue.com, 1/14/14)
The story indicates that the more experienced attendant “was concerned” that Ms. Esparza wasn’t secured properly in the ride and that Six Flags had an “If in Doubt” policy. The news account did not specify what that policy says, though the name implies that it would indicate that when there’s any doubt a person is safe on a ride, either the operator should shut down the ride or the person should be taken off the ride.
The roller coaster accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC note that most modern amusement rides have computerized safety indicators to show ride operators if seats are properly latched and if all is well with the ride. Such might have been the case with the Texas Giant. But as we all are aware through experience that technology isn’t always completely reliable or as helpful as it’s designed to be.
If the Texas Giant had such safety indicators and if the experienced ride operator was trained to rely on them to ensure ride safety, a slight technological malfunction could make those safety readings less than completely accurate and a ride operator’s reliance on them unsafe.
Did the “If in Doubt” policy tell ride operators to rely on the rides’ technological safety devices if they were in doubt or to use their own judgment where they felt there was a problem with a ride, despite reassuring safety indicators?
Our experienced roller coaster accident lawyers emphasize that amusement parks have a duty to train their employees to ensure the safety of patrons on the high-speed rides they offer. All accidents are preventable.
Six Flags amusement park very properly had a more experienced ride operator assisting the new attendant on the Texas Giant that fatal day. But if ride safety mechanisms malfunction and/or a ride operator violates a park’s own “If in Doubt” policy, negligence could still occur with deadly results.
At probably all amusement parks and ride venues, ride operators are under some pressure to make sure that rides keep moving and that park guests don’t become angry and troublesome because their favorite rides have been shut down. As such, even where the operators and attendants experience concern that a person might not be completely secured in a ride, if a technological safety indicator tells them that all is well with the ride and its restraints, they might not want to remove a passenger from a ride because of the complaints and angry repercussions that might entail. It’s a lose/lose situation for the ride attendants and operators. The tragedy is that it can become a lose/lose situation for riders and their families as well.
All accidents are preventable, but some complex safety situations have more difficult solutions than others. Learn what to do to help keep your loved ones safe on a roller coaster. Download our free report. And watch our video to learn how our experienced roller coaster accident attorneys helped another ride victim’s family.