Common Water Park And Amusement Park Injuries

Posted in Personal Injury on July 6, 2020

When you or your family members want to enjoy a fun outing at an amusement park or a water park, the last thing you think about is somebody getting hurt. According to a report from CNN, around 335 million people visit amusement parks each year across the country. Amusement park and water park operators are required to follow state regulations put in place to keep ride-goers and visitors safe. Unfortunately, there are times when serious injuries can occur.

water park injury

How often do water park and amusement ride injuries occur?

Data available from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) shows that there were approximately 30,000 injuries linked to amusement parks during a recent reporting year. However, experts warn that this data is limited because regulations surrounding reporting amusement park incidents are not uniform across the country. The actual number of injuries is likely higher.

Most common amusement and water park injuries in Georgia

Amusement park injuries can be severe, and they can affect a person’s entire body. Some of the most common injuries that occur an amusement or water park incidents include the following:

Broken or dislocated bones
Head, neck, and back injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Whiplash
Brain aneurysms
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Lacerations
Torn ligaments
Drowning on water rides or in pools
Motion sickness, including nausea and dizziness

Unfortunately, some amusement park injuries are so severe that victims die due to the trauma.

Most common causes amusement or water park injuries?

There are a variety of ways that people can get hurt at amusement or water parks. In many cases, these injuries occur due to passenger misuse or reckless behavior on the part of park-goers. However, these injuries can also occur due to the careless or negligent actions of amusement park ride operators or owners. This can include:

Failing to properly inspect or maintain the rides or water slides.
Failing to remove or replace broken or dangerous amusement ride equipment.
Slip and fall accidents caused by slippery surfaces or tripping hazards.
Lack of trained amusement park or water park personnel.
Inherently dangerous rides, such as a roller coaster that can cause a person’s body to be whipped around at a fast pace.
Lack of restraints on a ride, leading to the ejection of the rider.
Poor ride or water slide designs, leading to unsafe conditions.

Who regulates amusement parks in Georgia?

Georgia amusement parks are regulated by the state Department of Labor. The Department is responsible for setting forth amusement ride regulations, inspections of amusement rides, issuing certificates of inspection, and more.

There are many amusement and water parks in Georgia that visitors can enjoy. This includes Six Flags Over Georgia, Wild Adventures, Six Flags White Water, and more. Aside from the major theme parks across the state, there are various water parks that visitors and locals can enjoy as well as many smaller parks and stand-alone amusement rides that must also follow the rules and regulations set forth by the state of Georgia.

Do you need an attorney after an injury?

If you or somebody you love has sustained an injury at an amusement park that was caused by the careless or negligent actions of the park operators, you should speak to an Atlanta personal injury attorney about your case. You may be entitled to various types of compensation for what happened, but these premises liability cases are not easy to prove. An attorney will be able to walk you through this process and ensure you take the steps necessary to obtain maximum compensation.