Liability for North Carolina Amusement Park Ride Injuries
People go to North Carolina amusement parks and carnivals for mindless fun and the joy of pure entertainment, but unfortunately, rides such as roller coasters or ferris wheels at such venues can be dangerous to riders when ride accidents happen. Such rides can be large, heavy, high off the ground, and fast moving: a recipe for disaster when something goes awry.
A preliminary online search at the time of this writing reveals at least two stories of recent North Carolina amusement park injuries. In the more serious situation, the Wake Forest family of victims of an amusement ride accident at the 2013 North Carolina State Fair has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the ride’s owners for $150 million for resulting injuries, according to WNCN. Reportedly, the ride started without warning and “threw some of them off the ride.” Eyewitnesses estimated 20 or 30 foot drops.
The article says that the operator and the owner were each charged criminally in the incident. Injuries include blindness and brain damage, WNCN cites the victims’ attorney as saying.
When a happy day is marred by an amusement-park ride accident that causes injury, after seeking medical care, the injured party should not hesitate to contact an experienced North Carolina personal injury attorney about potentially responsible parties. Retaining legal counsel early on allows the lawyer to launch an investigation of the incident on behalf of the victim while the evidence is available and memories are fresh.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Amusement Park Injuries?
When a party has the duty to take reasonable steps to keep the public safe on amusement rides, failure to do so that causes injury or fatality creates legal liability. Examples of potentially liable parties include:
- Ride owners or operators who fail to safely maintain rides
- Maintenance or repair providers who negligently provide ride servicing
- Engineers or manufacturers of rides with dangerous designs or faulty manufacturing
- Owners or operators who do not adequately or as often as legally required inspect rides
- Owners or operators who fail to repair problems reported by the public or found by inspection
- Owners or operators who run rides in ways that violate manufacturer instructions
- Owners or operators who fail to get required permits
- And more.
Any person injured on an amusement park ride, or whose loved one is killed, should consult one of our knowledgeable premises liability lawyers at the Charlotte office of Warren & Kallianos, PLLC to understand available legal rights and options.
At Warren & Kallianos, we believe in the importance of working directly with our attorneys, Jeff Warren and Chris Kallianos. When you work with our firm, Jeff and Chris are always accessible to you throughout the progress of your case.
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