Millions of people from near and afar visit the many amusement parks in California which boast being among the very best in the country. While most amusement park visits are fun-filled and very enjoyable, for some, a day of fun turns into tragedy when they are injured or killed on amusement park rides.

Amusement park lawsuits can seem very overwhelming since they typically encompass several areas of law including premises liability, product liability and personal injury. This is why you should seek the legal assistance of a California amusement park ride attorney. An experienced attorney has the knowledge necessary to navigate through these often confusing claims to ensure you will obtain the justice and monetary compensation you deserve and need.

The Bay Area personal injury attorneys at Hogan Injury know how to properly investigate these types of accidents in order to get to the bottom of who or what was at fault in the amusement park ride accident that injured you. Our attorneys know that several factors can play a role in causing these types of accidents including passenger behavior, operator behavior, mechanical failure and design defects or limitations.

While there may be some question over who is to blame for an accident on an amusement park ride, there is no question that those injured while riding a ride suffer pain and loss due to the injuries they’ve sustained.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), amusement park ride accidents are caused by one of the following:

• Negligence on the part of the guest which may include intentional or unintentional violation(s) of the park’s safety rules and policies
• Negligence on the part of the park either by operators of the rides or by those in charge of conducting safety inspections of the rides
• Diagnosed or undiagnosed pre-existing medical conditions including high blood pressure, heart illness and recent back or neck injuries

The CPSC tells us that an estimated 270 million people visit amusement parks in the United States each year. It reports that about 7,000 of these park visitors are treated in emergency rooms for injuries they sustained while on amusement park rides. It also reports that over the past 25 years, that approximately 3,400 people have been killed on amusement park rides.

According to the CPSC, the majority of injuries and deaths occurring in amusement park ride accidents are caused by rider misconduct. In other words, the passengers injured or killed on these rides were not adhering to park safety policies at the time the accidents took place. In spite of this, there are still many amusement park ride accidents happening which are not blamed on the victims who’ve been injured or killed.

Common Causes of Amusement Park Accident Injuries

Both the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the International Association of Amusement Park Attractions report that the main reason for injuries and deaths on amusement park rides is preventable error. This includes such things as a lack of routine maintenance and the disregard for safety rules by both riders and operators.

Nearly every ride has a set of safety guidelines that must be followed. These safety rules typically require that riders meet certain criteria regarding their height, weight and age or warn that the rides should not be ridden by people with certain medical conditions.

Amusement park ride injuries can occur when brakes fail, causing a passenger car like that on a roller-coaster to careen into another car. People can become severely injured when a ride suddenly starts shaking violently or turns so sharply that riders suffer very serious injuries such as closed head injuries or broken bones. Sometimes amusement park ride personnel are negligent when guiding people on and off the rides. When this occurs, a rider can easily fall and injure him or herself.

Fun vs Risk

Because amusement park rides are inherently dangerous due to their mechanical complexities and speed, it is risky to be a passenger on such a ride. However, people of all ages love the adrenaline kick they get from these rides that can send them flying along tracks at break-neck speed or free-falling from several stories before hydraulic brakes prevent them from making contact with the ground. While people find great enjoyment in the exhilaration they get from amusement park rides, they do assume (as they should) that these rides pose no real danger of injury or death.

Rides in amusement parks are supposed to be safe and fit for the purposes for which they are intended. This means that the rides should be well-maintained and in good working order at all times. For example, a roller coaster ride must have brakes in very good working order which are inspected regularly. The passenger cars should feature seatbelts and safety bars that are working properly at all times and which are properly secured by trained employees of the park.

When a passenger on an amusement part ride is injured or killed, there is an inference that the park was negligent in operating and maintaining the ride to ensure that it was safe for public use.

Importance of Seeking Professional Legal Help

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in an amusement park ride, it is highly advisable not to discuss your injuries with a representative of an insurance company. While you may be tempted to accept a settlement amount offered by an insurance company, it is always best to decline any such offer. Instead, you should work with an experienced personal injury attorney that will help you settle your claim in a manner that best benefits you and not an insurance company.

The San Francisco personal injury attorneys at Hogan Injury can help you obtain the compensation you need that is fair and just and which will help secure your financial future. You are only given one chance to bring a claim in your accident case so call our attorneys today to ensure you get the best possible outcome.

We also help families who’ve lost loved ones in amusement park ride accidents by filing wrongful death claims. We offer a guaranteed no-fee policy to all our clients which means you don’t pay us a thing until we win or settle your case.