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While water parks and amusement parks are exciting and fun afternoons for the whole family, accidents and injuries are unfortunately common. Every year, dozens of incidents are reported at these recreational parks across the state, ranging from mild scrapes and bruises to severe and even life-threatening trauma.

If you or your child has suffered an injury while on park grounds, you might benefit from reaching out to a Michigan amusement park accident lawyer to discuss your legal rights. When the negligent actions of a person, business, or another entity are to blame for your losses, you might be able to file a civil lawsuit to recover your losses.

By working with a skillful attorney at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., you could rest assured that a tenacious legal professional is helping to request the compensation you deserve.

Waterpark Accidents

Although water parks provide great summer fun for families, there are often serious injuries that occur due to lack of proper safety measures. These injuries often occur on slides, inner tubes, and in wave pools. The World Water Park Association (WWA), estimates that there are 1,000 waters parks in the U.S., with an estimation of 80 million people visiting these amusement parks every year. With numbers so high, waterpark drownings and injuries stemming from accidents are unfortunately common in Michigan.

Some of the state’s largest amusement water parks include the following:

  • Michigan’s Adventure Amusement Park & Wild Water Adventure
  • Avalanche Bay Indoor Water Park
  • Splash Universe
  • Soaring Eagle Water Park & Hotel
  • Zehnder’s Splash Village
  • Battle Creek’s Full Blast Water Park
  • Great Wolf Lodge
  • Avalanche Bay Indoor Water Park at Boyne Mountain
  • Fairview Beachfront Inn & Waterpark
  • Gold Rush Waterpark
  • Red Oaks Water Park
  • Rolling Hills
  • Surfari Joe’s Indoor Wilderness Water Park

Some of the most common causes for these types of injuries can include improper warnings or signage, failure to enforce weight and height limits, ride failure, poor or nonexistent maintenance, lack of lifeguards on duty, and failure to properly supervise the area, improper training, and more.

Accidents at water parks can cause serious injuries. Children are often the victims of these incidents and often suffer the most serious injuries, including brain injuries, broken bones, and even death. For injuries, a parent might be able to file a claim against the park with the help of a Michigan amusement park lawyer. However, for cases stemming from a fatal accident, they might be able to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit.

Safety Tips for Amusement Parks and Carnivals

At amusement parks, injuries occur on roller coasters, Ferris wheels, water rides, and on others, including Gravity, Spider, and other fast-dropping and spinning rides. Outside of the proper safety standards maintained on amusement park rides, there are steps that can be taken by individuals to avoid severe injuries. LARA, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs shares tips to ensure the safety of amusement-park goers:

  • Read and obey all posted rules and restrictions
  • Follow all verbal instructions from ride operators or recorded announcements
  • Follow all height, weight, and medical restrictions. If you have a medical condition, ask your doctor if thrill rides are appropriate for you
  • Make sure that seat belts, shoulder harnesses, and lap bars are securely latched
  • Secure loose hair, clothing, and belongings before the start of any ride
  • Keep hands, arms, legs, and feet inside the ride at all times
  • Never stand up on a ride
  • Adults should never seat a child in their lap unless ride operators confirm that it is safe to do so
  • Do not go on thrill rides when excessively tired or under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Report any unsafe behavior or conditions to a supervisor or manager immediately
  • Report injuries to a supervisor or manager

When attending theme parks or carnivals, remember that most injuries are suffered by children under the age of 13, according to the Saferparks organization. There are no mandatory or voluntary standards that require amusement rides to securely contain child riders. With this in mind, every parent should make sure their child understands safe behavior.

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Legal Rights After a Waterpark or Amusement Park Accident

Although amusement parks and carnivals provide great thrills and entertainment for families, the rides often lack proper safety equipment, are not assembled or constructed properly, and can be operated by individuals not paying attention to important safety issues.   The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates traveling carnival rides, but the agency is often understaffed and does not sufficiently monitor the rides for safety. Quite often, by the time an accident scene is investigated, the ride is either dismantled or in the process of being disassembled, making it impossible to determine the proximate cause of a person’s injuries.

With water parks, these rides are not always dismantled. However, evidence might still fade over time, meaning that anyone injured in an accident should consider contacting an experienced and hardworking Michigan amusement park lawyer for help with pursuing a thorough claim.

Can I Sue for Injuries at a Waterpark or Amusement Park?

You can sue if you or someone you care about was injured due to negligence at a waterpark or amusement park.  To win your case, you must prove that the park owner and staff failed to take proper and necessary precautions to protect parkgoers from injury and harm.  This could include negligence in assembling and maintaining rides, the failure to properly monitor and supervise visitors, and failing to warn guests of known safety hazards.

Contact a Michigan Amusement Park Accident Attorney

If you or your child was injured at an amusement park or water park, you have legal options and might wish to pursue compensation. However, understanding your legal options might be complicated, especially as you recover from trauma.

By enlisting a Michigan amusement park accident lawyer, you will have help with each step.  A dedicated attorney could fully investigate the circumstances of an accident and try to determine the root cause of your injuries. For instance, a legal professional could work to obtain the facility maintenance records, inspection reports, investigation documents, videotapes, and anything else necessary to establish fault for a claim.

To get started, reach out to an attorney at Buckfire Law today.  We charge no fees unless you win a settlement.

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