Theme parks and amusement parks are popular summertime destinations. Even if you aren’t that enthusiastic about getting on a ride, your children or your romantic partner may cajole you into hitting up some roller coasters. You may choose a theme park instead of a traveling carnival for your adventure.
Quite a few people do so under the impression that amusement parks are inherently safe, or at least safer than traveling attractions. While it is true that amusement parts are subject to inspection and often have rigorous maintenance protocols in place, that doesn’t mean that no one ever gets hurt on amusement park rides.
Quite the opposite, in fact. Thousands of people every year suffer serious injuries as a result of pursuing a fun day out.
Tens of thousands of people get hurt at theme parks
It’s important to realize that statistics about theme park injuries may not be entirely accurate. Some people who get hurt may not tell medical professionals about how they got hurt. Other times, they may have suffered minor injuries and decided not to go to a hospital.
In other words, the statistics about this kind of injury likely skew to the low side. Keeping that in mind, you may feel shocked to learn that people suffer noteworthy injuries from amusement park rides. In 2016, for example, at least 30,900 people went to emergency rooms after getting hurt at a theme park.
When do injured visitors have legal rights?
There are circumstances in which someone who gets hurt in an amusement park will have little recourse. For example, if you ignored the signage that stated it was not safe for people with certain medical conditions or those under the influence of drugs or alcohol to get on a certain ride, you may be more liable for the injury than the amusement park is.
However, if you comply with all rules, signs and attendant instructions and still wound up hurt, you may be able to bring a claim against the company. Typically, you need to prove that negligence or some kind of lawbreaking played a role in the circumstances that left you injured.
Provided that you can demonstrate that inadequate maintenance or a failure to report issues directly contributed to your injury or if the amusement park turned out to be in violation of federal or state law, you will likely have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim against the company.