Florida is perhaps the theme park capital of the world. With the presence of Disney World, Wet n Wild, Epcot Center, Sea World and Universal Studios, there are countless of theme parks that attract millions of visitors every year. Unfortunately, besides the fun and the excitements, there is also a downside to it – theme park accidents and injuries.
Instead of visitors having fun and good times in the parks, they end up getting injuries, some of which are so severe that they end up spending months in the hospital. If you are ever involved in a theme park accident or you get an injury in the course of having fun in the theme park, it is imperative to get an Orlando theme park injury attorney to help you recover any damages you suffered as a result of the injury.
What causes theme park accidents and injuries?
Theme parks feature thousands of acres of land and they are designed to accommodate millions of visitors every year. There are a myriad of facilities within the parks for entertaining and thrilling guests, and though they are designed to be safe for every user, accidents and the injuries do happen at these facilities.
For instance, the roller-coasters move at dangerous speeds and if appropriate safety precautions are not taken, then the visitors will always be prone to accidents and injuries. The same is the case with the water slides where users may get off track and land on the hard surfaces with a devastating impact.
Here is a brief glance at some of the causes of most accidents and injuries in the theme parks in Orlando:
- Failed safety devices
- Food poisoning
- Negligent security officers
- Failure of mechanical parts
- Slips and falls
- Fatigued ride operators
- Lack of adequate maintenance
- The use of old equipment
Certain precautions are always taken before the respective facilities or equipment are used, and this may include strapping safety belts to prevent falling off the air when one is hundreds of feet from the ground or having floaters before jumping in the pools. But there are other unforeseen incidents which may still happen, irrespective of the observed safety measures. For example, mechanical problems are sometimes inevitable and come with deadly consequences.
Premise Liability Law and Amusement Parks
It is the responsibility of theme park operators to invest in proper machinery maintenance to ensure that rides don’t break down with people mid-air. However, it is not just problems with the rides that concern the theme park operators. Other hazards such as food poisoning may also become a liability to the operators when they fail to ensure all the food vendors have safe and fresh foods for the visitors. There is also the potential dangers of slips and falls in wet sections of the park, as well as in the poorly lit areas.
What to do if you are injured in the theme park
When you get involved in an accident or you sustain an injury when you are on the theme park, there will be concerted efforts by the theme park representatives to try and defend the park and stop you from getting damages from your injuries. You may even receive a call from the risk management department requesting a statement on the incident.
You must never talk to anyone about the incident before talking to a theme park injury lawyer in Orlando. It is vital to seek professional representation as soon as possible, and before the accident is quickly swept under the carpet in the usual misleading red tape.