Amusement Park Injuries On The Rise

The consumer product safety commission reports that emergency-room injuries from amusement park rides rose almost 87% over the last five years.  While some cases involve serious trauma and wrongful death from attractions, many also involve lacerations, broken bones, or fractures caused by slip-and-fall accidents.

If you or a family member suffered an injury at an amusement park, water park, or on a carnival ride, you may be able to collect compensation for related expenses and punitive damages.

Here are some questions that a lawyer will explore when considering such a case:

• Negligence:  Did the park or operation display a lack of reasonable care that contributed to or caused an injury?  If the accident occurred on a ride, did the rider take an assumed risk?
• Product Liability:  Was an attraction inherently dangerous, meaning that maintenance and inspection still would not ensure safety?  It is expensive and difficult to prove that a manufacturer could have used a safer design for a ride.  A court will also consider assumed risk
• Premises Liability:  Did the owner take reasonable care of the construction, management, and maintenance of the facility and grounds?

40% Of All Fatal Car Crashes On Labor Day Involve A Drunk Driver

Did you know that on Labor Day in 2012 40% of all fatal car crashes involved a drunk driver?  The National Safety Council estimates 395 people will be killed and an additional 42,300 will be injured in car crashes during the Labor Day holiday  weekend. The period begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1.  
It also is estimated that 143 lives may be saved this Labor Day holiday period by buckling up, and an additional 99 lives could be saved if all wore seat belts. 
Be safe this Labor Day weekend.  Do not drink and drive or get in a car with someone who has been drinking.  Be smart, be safe!  The Labor Day holiday should be filled with fun and relaxation, not flashing lights and tragedy.

To ensure a safer Labor Day holiday weekend, NSC recommends drivers:  

• Refrain from using cell phones – handheld or hands-free – because there is no safe way to use a cell phone while driving.  Join the movement.... #ItCanWait

• Do not manipulate in-vehicle infotainment systems or electronic devices, including GPS systems, while the vehicle is in motion

• Make sure all passengers are buckled up and children are in safety seats appropriate for their age and size.

• Allow plenty of travel time to avoid frustration and diminish the impulse to speed

• Drive defensively and exercise caution, especially during inclement weather

• Designate a non-drinking driver or plan for alternative transportation, such as a taxi