Warm weather and vacation time offer great opportunities to visit your favorite amusement park, whether it’s Carowinds on the South Carolina border or Family Kingdom at Myrtle Beach. Perhaps you’ll go out of state and take the kids to Disney World in Florida. Carnivals and festivals will be popping up across the state with roller coasters, ferris wheels, and bumper cars.
Regardless of where you go, you are entrusting the amusement park, employees, and ride operators the lives of your family members, and probably don’t think twice about what could happen should something go wrong. Unfortunately, accidents DO happen, and you should know what to do if you or a loved one is injured at an amusement park.
You may think the faster rides with the most twists and turns would be the most dangerous amusement park rides. Surprisingly, the rides designed for smaller children often cause the most injuries, according to The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. About 21% of all amusement park injuries occur on a carousel, or merry-go-round, while roller coaster injuries only account for 10%. Most injuries involve the head and neck after falling off the ride.
However, injuries can also be sustained if rides are not properly maintained or if the amusement park staff has neglected to keep the area safe for patrons. Not to mention, getting hurt on a ride can have a tremendous mental and emotional effect on a child.
You should be careful and follow all posted rules and guidelines when visiting an amusement park. Here are a few amusement park safety tips from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital:
- Always follow all posted height, age, weight and health restrictions.
- Make sure to follow any special seating order and/or loading instructions.
- Always use safety equipment such as seat belts and safety bars.
- Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.
- If you don’t think your child will be able to follow the rules, keep him or her off the ride.
- Trust your instincts. If you are worried about the safety of the ride, choose a different activity.
- Avoid rides over a hard, unpadded surface, especially if they don’t have a restraint or seat belt.
If you are injured at an amusement park, you should seek medical attention immediately. Common amusement park injuries include:
- Whiplash
- Head and Neck Injuries
- Broken Bones
- Spinal Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Bruising and Internal Bleeding
After talking with a doctor, you may need to contact a personal injury attorney to determine whether or not you have a personal injury claim. If the amusement park failed to comply with industry standards, neglected to maintain rides at a safe operating status, or acted carelessly or recklessly while operating a ride, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the knowledgeable legal team at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers for a FREE case review .
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