Common Amusement Park Injuries More Down-to-Earth than Expected

While you may think the riskiest part of an amusement park would be the big rides that move people through the air at high speeds, the most common type of accident is much more earth-bound – the slip and/or trip-and-fall.

Many families will be enjoying vacations at theme parks and water parks this summer. While most parks are well-maintained and safe, accidents can happen at even the happiest places on the planet. When a park guest slips or trips and falls, causing a serious injury, the park may be liable for damages. If the guest decides to pursue damages, they must prove fault just like in any other slip-and-fall case. To prove fault, it must be shown that the park failed in its duty to protect their guests. The burden of proof in these types of cases falls on the victim. To prove that the park is liable for an injury, a victim must show that the park knew about a dangerous condition on the property and did not fix it, caused a dangerous condition and did not fix it, or should have known about a dangerous condition because a reasonable person would have known about it.

In addition to proving fault, any injured party must prove that their actions were reasonable in order to win their case. If the injured guest was acting in an unsafe manner, was in an off-limits area, or ignored warning signs, the chances of winning their case drops. In order to have the best chance at recovering damages, anyone injured at an amusement park should consult with an attorney experienced in premises liability cases.