Terrified and Left In Tears
For several months, many amusement parks around the world sat idle with their doors closed to the public. It was deemed necessary to help slow the spread rate of infection caused by the Coronavirus. Now those parks adhering to special guidelines are opening once again. Unfortunately, injuries are occurring.
The same social distancing protocols that restaurants and grocery chains are taking to keep people apart are the same guidelines the amusement parks are taking. Unfortunately, it’s not quite the same procedures. Some rides were not designed to have less people on them. In fact, some rides need a certain amount of weight to keep them adequately balanced.
Many rides are electronically controlled and have sensors that monitor speed, location and even passenger movement. If something is not right within the scope of the ride program the computer monitoring everything will send a signal back to the ride to stop. Where the ride stops sometimes is not always the best location.
Take for instance on July 30, 2020 riders on a United Kingdom rollercoaster were left standard 150 feet in the air. The rollercoaster stopped while climbing one of the ride’s tallest inclines, stranded dozens of passengers for over an hour at the top of the coaster.
“A fault within the rollercoaster drive triggered one of the multiple layers of safety systems causing the train to stop and lock,” the spokesperson explained. “There were a number of passengers on the attraction who were safely evacuated.”
One of the passengers reported, “We had to clamber out in the most horrible way — you don’t realize how high up you’ve gone. We could hear people crying ahead of us.”
Apparently, park staff spent over an hour trying to fix the issue before using harnesses to escort the passengers off the ride to the safety of the ground below. According to amusement park attendees many riders were terrified by the incident and were seen leaving the scene in tears.
Sounds really scary, doesn’t it? The ride is supposed to only last a few minutes and maybe get your adrenaline pumping a bit, not freak you out and leave you in tears.
Should you go to an amusement park during these trying times when social distancing is the norm? Well, those who rode that UK rollercoaster are thinking no. But even before the pandemic, amusement park rides caused injuries. Just last year we shared an article about the new Skyliner at Disney World trapping people several stories above the ground for hours.
Amusement parks are fun to go to, but there are inherent risks involved that most people don’t think about. Getting trapped high above ground is a very traumatic experience. Although injuries can happen on the ground even when not on a ride.
We shared an article about Disney’s sister amusement park, Disneyland. In that article I shared how a family attacked each other and the park goers became the spectators in a “fists of fury” event.
If you are involved in an accident, injury or altercation while attending a resort or amusement park you may have the legal right to sue the resort owner and / or park operator. But before you do anything, you need to explain your situation to a lawyer. You should describe the incident that resulted in your injury and provide them with all of the information regarding your case.
After you have spoken to a lawyer, they will guide you in determining what course of action will be best for your case.
Amusement parks are designed for entertainment, but that doesn’t mean that park owners can’t be sued if you are injured by another park goer or from the result of equipment failure or operator error.
The Law Offices of David W. Holub is a personal injury law firm located in Merrillville, Indiana, focused on providing efficient and effective client-centered representation. Our mission is to provide top quality legal representation, which includes an uncompromising pursuit of our client’s legal interests, while being accessible and attentive to our clients during times of personal challenge.
The firm concentrates in personal injury cases of all types, medical malpractice, and wrongful death litigation. We work tirelessly to serve each client aggressively and with empathy, to communicate regularly and clearly, and to obtain prompt and favorable results, while adhering to the highest standards of excellence and integrity. Our team considers it a high honor to be called upon to serve our clients whom we often come to regard as our friends.
Call 1(219)736-9700 today to speak to one of our attorneys.
Here’s additional articles about amusement park related accidents and injuries that might be of interest to you…
*If you would like to learn more about personal injury law, we encourage you to listen to our Personal Injury Primer Podcast where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss topics related to personal injury law. And read “Fighting For Truth: A Trial Lawyer’s Insight Into What It Takes To Win” an entertaining and enlightening book pulling readers into the courtroom giving them a glimpse of the legal process and what it takes to win at trial.