Orlando is a city that lives and dies on its tourism, and the many amusement park operators in the area are aware if this reality and strive to provide a safe experience. However, there are no guarantees in this world, and you may find yourself hurt through no fault of your own while visiting Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, or one of the many other attractions dotting the city. When this happens, there is no doubt that the right thing for an amusement park to do is cover your medical expenses that stem from the injury, but theme parks are businesses, and business interest does not always mesh with morality. As such, it is important to know what to say and do if you should ever find yourself injured at a theme park.
Gather Evidence
Immediately take photographs or video of the scene of the incident and the cause of your injury. These are very important as the theme park will clean up the area or change it as quickly as possible. Almost everyone now days has a camera on their phone and a few pictures can make all the difference in the resolution of your case. If you can get the contact details of witnesses, or if you can even get an employee on record indicating he was aware of the problems that caused the incident and had reported it to management, you’ll have a solid foundation on which to build your case. While getting treatment should always be your number 1 priority, don’t let an opportunity for gathering evidence pass you by.
Seek Medical Attention
Next, immediately seek treatment for your injuries from an emergency room or at least a walk in clinic. Remember the paramedics and first aid staff are employees of the theme park be seeking a recovery and their opinions are typically slanted as a result. Seek treatment from an emergency room or at least a walk in clinic to get a honest evaluation of your injuries. Attempting to self-treat or “walk it off” may exacerbate your injuries and could jeopardize your settlement later. Furthermore, seeking treatment immediately will help to provide a written record of your injury that will act as evidence later.
Sign Nothing, Make No Statements
You are under no obligation to give the park personal a recorded or written statement. You may find yourself pressured into making some kind of statement or signing off on some paperwork: don’t do this. Instead, consult a legal professional to make sure you are not signing away your rights. They can double-check everything and advise you on the best course of action. However, anything you sign or any statements you make can be used against you if you are not properly consulted.
The worst thing you can do after an injury is say something that implies you were at fault for your injury. Even if you believe yourself to be the one to blame, there may have been circumstances you were unaware of that contributed to your accident that made the injury worse. Not only that, but sometimes people blame themselves for things that should be blamed on the property owner. Tripping on a broken sidewalk might feel like your own clumsiness and inattentiveness, but given the heavy crowds that walk through every day it is reasonable to expect the park owners to have taken measures to repair the fault and thus prevent the incident from happening in the first place.
Conclusion
Getting injured at a theme park is something nobody wants to happen; neither the theme park owners or patrons. However, it does happen, and often it is the owners who have to shoulder the burden of liability in those cases. While they may genuinely want to provide the best possible experience, they still have to make a profit, and lawsuits eat into those profit margins. As such, your best course of action is to neither confirm nor deny anything until you have had chance to consult with a qualified theme park accident attorney.
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