Alhambra Amusement Park Accident Lawyer

Helping Clients Throughout Southern California

Amusement parks bring happiness to countless Americans of all ages and are a fun pastime for families and people on vacation. Southern California is home to some of the country’s most famous theme parks, including Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags, SeaWorld, and others. Unfortunately, people are injured in accidents at amusement parks all the time, and some are even killed under extreme circumstances. Though sometimes accidents happen for no reason, it’s possible that an amusement park or other party can be held responsible for your injuries.

If you or a loved one were harmed, there’s no risk in calling Lara Law Firm. Our Alhambra amusement park accident lawyer offers free consultations, meaning you don’t have to pay a cent for our initial case evaluation. If we determine you have a valid claim, we can offer you options if you’d like to proceed. At our firm, you always have a choice, and we don’t move forward until you’re comfortable and give us the go-ahead.

Contact us online or at (626) 790-5758 for a free consultation regarding your injuries. We’re able to stand up against powerful and large amusement parks and companies on your behalf.

Common Amusement Park Accidents & Injuries

According to the National Safety Council, roughly 1,300 people are injured in theme park accidents every year – that number should be zero. While it’s common to associate amusement park accidents with rides like roller coasters, accidents can occur anywhere on park grounds, including in parking structures.

Accidents that commonly occur in amusement parks include:

• Roller coaster accidents
• Ride malfunctions
• Drownings
• Parking lot accidents
• Animal bites
• General premises liability

There are a variety of injuries that can occur in these accidents, though some of the most common injuries involve head, neck, and back injuries from being jolted or thrown on rides like roller coasters and spinning rides.

Other injuries include:

• Drowning on water slides or water rides
• Stroke from trauma caused to ligaments in the neck
• Brain aneurysms from fast rides
• Traumatic brain injuries from rides at fast speeds or objects hitting the rider’s head
• Death from falls or being thrown from rides

Guests and park employees can be injured in these accidents. One example is the Expedition Everest roller coaster at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, which has caused multiple seizures to riders. Employees have also been injured in industrial accidents or while attempting to fix rides.

Who is Liable for Damages in These Accidents?

In accidents caused by an employee’s negligence or carelessness, the amusement park itself may be held responsible. Common forms of employee negligence at amusement parks include failing to maintain equipment, giving riders incorrect instructions, and operating a ride improperly. Amusement parks can also be held liable for damages if they failed to warn riders of risks involved with particular rides, or if they didn’t train their ride operators properly.

If a ride malfunctioned and the ride or components were defective, then the manufacturer of the ride or the maker of the defective part can be held liable for damages. These claims can be challenging, as the victim must prove that the structure or equipment was defective and the defect is what caused the injury or death.

Common Amusement Park Defenses

One of the main reasons why it’s important to hire an attorney to represent you in your injury case is that amusement parks have their own teams of lawyers who can provide a host of defenses. They will use whatever resources they have to evade liability and even put the blame on you for your own injuries.

Common defenses amusement parks use in lawsuits include:

• Assumption of risk: A person is said to have “assumed risk” if they take part in something while knowing the risks involved. Amusement parks often claim that guests are aware of the dangers involved when they enter a park and go on rides. However, guests can make the case that they didn’t know their ride operator wasn’t trained properly or that one of the parts on their ride was defective.
• Disclaimers on admission tickets: Amusement parks frequently try to avoid liability by inserting disclaimers into their admission tickets. Parks know that most people don’t read the fine print in their tickets and take advantage of this.
• Rider non-compliance: Parks and their lawyers will also argue that injured riders didn’t comply with ride requirements and thus caused their own injuries. Rides have posted age, weight, or height requirements; if a rider doesn’t meet these, the amusement park will use this defense.

Our team is well-versed in these common defenses and works hard to fight for our clients when they’ve been harmed by negligence. We can help you cover the costs of medical bills, lost wages, and other damages you may have accrued as a result of your injuries.

Call our Alhambra amusement park attorney today for a free consultation at (626) 790-5758. We also serve clients in Huntington Beach.