In a recent article, CNN cited a US Consumer Product Safety Commission which reported an estimated 30,000 theme park injuries in 2016.
How Does This Happen?
CNN reported on a tragedy that occurred at the Ohio State Fair when the Fire Ball ride broke apart and pieces of it, including the seats that were holding passengers at the time, began falling off. As a result of this widely reported amusement park ride malfunction, seven people were injured and one was killed.
While also raising questions about the safety of amusement park rides, Time provided examples of passengers sustaining injuries while on these rides. In one case, there was a teenage girl on a gondola ride who had to fall 25 feet in order to secure her rescue after getting stuck.
In August of 2016, NBC reported that three girls aged 6, 10, and 16 were hospitalized after falling approximately three stories from a Ferris wheel ride. Just a few days within the same month, Time reported that a 3-year-old boy was injured after falling off of a roller coaster ride.
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the startling number of theme park accidents that have been occurring is what CNN observes as the lack of adequate data on amusement park injuries and accidents.
Seeing An Increase In Theme Park Accidents
While the initial claims made to CNN by the International Association for Amusement Parks may sound reassuring simply by virtue of the fact that, according to Statista, amusement parks see millions of visitors every year while injuries are numbering in the low thousands according to the most conservative data.
However, the numbers still represent a 32 percent increase in amusement park injuries from 2014 to 2015. Perhaps most concerning, no information on fatalities appears to be reported.
What this means for well-meaning amusement park goers is that a safe day of fun rides isn't necessarily something that you can expect to take for granted. Serious personal injuries can clearly happen at any time and that includes at amusement parks.
If you have been involved in a Bronx theme park accident contact our personal injury attorneys at:
Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman
1392 Boston Rd
Bronx, NY 10456
(347) 475-1041
