Personal Injury Cases at Florida Amusement Parks
Just because an activity is dangerous does not mean you lose your legal rights when you choose to participate. We live in Florida. We love the sun and we love our Disney. Florida boasts some of the most extravagant amusement parks and attractions in the world—people travel from all over to ride the coasters and specialty rides. A visit to an amusement park is a great family activity that is generally safe—knowing that there are some risks next time you head to the park might help take the edge off of any concerns you have from the recent media coverage of an accident at one of our local parks.
Theme Park Rides and Statistics
Statistics from 2011-2103 tell us that the country’s amusement parks have nearly 300 million visitors annually, and of those, slightly over 1,100 were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries or killed. This is a very small number considering the amount of rides that occur on a given day at a given park—across the country these numbers add up to billions.
Though of course there is the possibility that the rides have not been properly maintained or have certain defects leading to mechanical failures, far more injuries are attributed to other causes including:
- Failing to abide by weight/height restrictions
- Improper or inadequate training of ride operators
- Minimal or non-existent warnings or safety demonstrations
- Failure to use safety belt/buckle properly or securely
- Rowdy behavior by other riders
- Riders bringing unauthorized items with them on the ride that could fall out or cause injury
These, of course, are only some of the many contributing factors to amusement park ride injuries, but being cognizant of these risks may help you keep a lookout for them in the future.
Safety Tips
Though there are certainly risks and associated deaths with the rides themselves, far more injuries occur on the amusement park grounds than the roller coasters. Premises liability lawsuits have arisen at amusement parks for unkempt grounds, failure to warn of adverse conditions, inadequate safety measures on trolleys or other intra-park transportation, or other inadequacies. If your child is too small to ride a ride, there is a reason for it. You may be able to bypass staff to sneak onto the ride, but at the expense of possibly injuring your child. If an area is roped off, there is likely a reason for it, even if the roped-off path might give you a shortcut to your next destination. The best advice is simple: follow the rules, read the signs, and you will protect everyone in your family from harm as best you can.
Miami Personal Injury and Products Liability Attorneys
At Alan Goldfarb P.A., we understand that all you want is a fun, safe trip to the amusement park with your family, and we are grateful that the vast majority of the time, you will return home safely without incident. We also know that accidents do happen. If you or a loved one has been injured on a ride or on the premises of an amusement park, you may be entitled to compensation. Our knowledgeable Miami-based personal injury and premises liability attorneys know how to navigate legal claims to ensure you obtain the compensation that you are entitled by law. We will work with the park authorities, their lawyers, the insurance companies, and your family to ensure the best possible outcome. If you have any questions about bringing a legal claim in Florida, please contact our Miami office today.
