Kansas City Amusement Park Accident Lawyer

A day at the amusement park in Kansas City or elsewhere in Missouri is supposed to be fun. But all the fun can end in a split second if you or your loved one gets injured while using an attraction.

Although amusement park accidents are fairly uncommon if you compare the number of injuries to the number of people who visit these recreational venues, there is always a risk of suffering a serious injury.

When an amusement park accident does occur, it gets media coverage. But for a person who has been injured while taking a ride, it does not matter how many media outlets reported on the accident. What matters is determining the liable party and seeking compensation to be able to pay medical bills and deal with lost wages, not to mention the pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other long-term consequences.

Whether it’s the world’s tallest waterslide, a huge ferris wheel or a new theme park ride, thrill seekers come to experience fun with their families. The last thing on their mind is personal injury, however if a serious injury does occur it is important to know you have a law firm right here in Kansas City that can help with your injury case.

Here at Townsend Law LLC, our Kansas City amusement park accident attorney has decades of experience in helping injured people resolve their legal challenges and receive maximum compensation as promptly as possible.

How Common Are Amusement Park Accidents?

Given that in 2018 over 500 million people visit amusement and theme parks in the United States each year according to this article, it is fair to say that injuries at amusement parks are not that common.

Nonetheless, an estimated 30,000 injuries sustained at amusement parks are treated in emergency rooms per year. Just because such incidents may not be as common as car wrecks or slip and fall accidents it does not change the fact that you may be entitled to compensation.

There are various types of injuries that can occur, such as:

• Broken bones
• Neck injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Lacerations

The worst result from a theme park ride accident is wrongful death.

Our law firm has years of experience in multiple practice areas and have successfully fought for our clients in many injury claims.

Most Dangerous Types Of Attractions In Amusement Parks

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the most dangerous types of attractions in amusement parks are:

• Roller coasters, which account for nearly a third of all deaths
• Ferris wheels and other elevated rides, which cause more than 20 percent of fatalities
• Water slides, which result in about 15 percent of amusement park deaths
• Spinning rides, which account for about 14 percent of fatalities

However, even such seemingly harmless attractions as merry-go-rounds can be dangerous, as they cause the highest number of total injuries. Also, interestingly, the vast majority of amusement park accidents occur at smaller venues, carnivals, and fairs.

It makes sense since attractions at these venues are set up and taken down repeatedly, which increases the risk of malfunction, improper installation, and defective amusement park rides.

One of the most tragic cases in recent memory is that of Caleb Schwab. He was riding the world’s tallest waterslide at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. Caleb’s death was as a result of the builder ignoring engineering safeguards. The Verruckt water slide is a 170’ tall water slide, and is responsible for Caleb’s death and injuring 12 more. Caleb Schawb will always be remembered.

Liability In Amusement Park Accidents

Property owners who invite the public onto their premises must ensure a safe environment for everyone. That duty is even greater for park owners and ride operators of attractions at amusement parks because their guests and visitors are exposed to dozens of potentially hazardous equipment.

Typically, there are two areas of law that cover amusement park accidents: Premises liability and product liability.

When the owner or operator of an amusement park fails to ensure that the attractions are in good working condition, they could be sued in the event of injury. However, if the attraction was inspected and maintained properly, then a lawyer would investigate whether or not there was a manufacturing or design defect in the piece of equipment that caused the injury.

If that is the case, you could potentially sue the manufacturer for any resulting harm in a product liability case. Premises liability, meanwhile, applies when a visitor is harmed by any unreasonable or hidden hazards on the premises.

For example, failure to place appropriate warnings or barriers could be classified as negligence if the lack of warnings or barriers causes an amusement park injury.

Speak to a Kansas City amusement park accident attorney to investigate who was liable in your particular situation. Reach out to our lawyers at Townsend Law LLC, to get a free consultation.

Call at 833-869-6529 or fill out our contact form.