Amusement park accidents can have a devastating effect on injury victims. Amusement parks are commercial theme parks that offer customers rides, food, games, booth, and other entertainment. Tennessee is home to many amusement and water parks, including Dollywood. Visitors and residents alike enjoy the fast rides and entertainment Nashville, and the surrounding area has to offer. While rides on permanent theme parks like Dollywood are typically safer than fair rides, theme park customers still suffer injuries. Recent reports of injuries and deaths at theme parts serve as cautionary tales for Nashville thrill-seekers.
Under Tennessee premises liability law, property owners have a duty to make their premises safe for their paying customers. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in an amusement park accident, you might be entitled to damages. The knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney at Cummings Law can evaluate your theme park accident and advise you as to your legal rights. Contact the Nashville amusement park lawyers at Cummings Law today to schedule your initial consultation. Our attorneys fight hard for our clients’ right to compensation.
Tennessee Amusement Park Accidents
Tennessee is home to many popular amusement parks, such as:
- Anakeesta in Gatlinburg
- Adrenaline Park in Sevierville
- Dollywood and Splash Country in Pigeon Forge
- The Island Amusement Park in Pigeon Forge
- Lake Winne and Soakya Water Park in Chattanooga
- Ober Gatlinburg
- Nashville Shores Water Park in Hermitage
- Wild Bear Falls in Gatlinburg
- The Wetlands in Jonesborough
- The Resort at Governor’s Crossing in Sevierville
While all of the above amusement parks and water parks must undergo regular safety inspections, amusement park accidents still occur every year. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that amusement park accidents caused 30,900 injuries that resulted in visits to a hospital emergency room in 2016. The report noted that amusement park thrill rides had caused 22 deaths since 2010.
Amusement Parks Must Undergo Frequent Safety Inspections
Amusement parks must undergo frequent safety inspections. However, some inspectors fail to accurately inspect rides, while other amusement parks fail to fix dangerous conditions within their parks. For example, a park-goer in Ohio died after seats detached from a spinning amusement park ride. The ride that caused the individual’s death received a thorough inspection three or four times before the fair opened. The ride passed three dozen other examinations for cracks, brakes, and proper assembly.
When an amusement ride causes death or injury, it is wise to hire experienced attorneys who will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident. At Cummings Law, we know how to investigate an accident to determine who is liable for our clients’ injuries.
Dollywood Amusement Park Accident Attorneys
Dollywood is one of Tennessee’s most popular amusement park attractions. Located on 150 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood is home to 40 different amusement park rides. Guests at Dollywood enjoy lightning-fast roller coasters as well as kid-friendly amusement rides. One of the Dollywood roller coasters, the Wild Eagle, soars 21 stories high at 61 miles per hour.
While millions of visitors a year visit Dollywood without incident, accidents have occurred at the popular amusement park. In the summer of 2019, several Dollywood guests suffered injuries when two trams collided. The trams were transporting amusement park guests when they collided, requiring the guests to seek medical attention at a local hospital.
Common Types of Theme Park Accidents
Broken rides are not the only cause of theme park accidents. Faulty rides cause some theme park accidents. Other theme park accidents occur due to unsafe conditions throughout the premises. When amusement park rides cause injuries or death, there can be many contributing factors. Most theme park ride injuries occur due to one or more of the following factors:
- Poorly maintained equipment on rides
- A ride operator error or inattention on the part of the ride operator
- Risky behavior on the part of amusement park customers
- Slip and fall accidents at theme parks
- A roller coaster car detaches from the tracks
- The protective lap bar separates mid-ride
- The roller coaster brakes fail
Common Injuries Sustained At Theme Parks
- Head, neck, and back injuries from rides that whip riders around and roller coasters
- Death resulting from falling off of the ride
- Traumatic brain injury caused by the speed or g-force of fast roller coasters
- Torn ligaments, broken bones, and lacerations
- Drowning at water parks or other water-related rides
Amusement Park Regulations
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulates amusement park rides that are mobile. The CPSC does not have the authority to regulate fixed rides, such as the rides at Dollywood and other permanent amusement parks in Tennessee. In 2017, Tennessee lawmakers tightened the safety restrictions and requirements for amusement park rides. Amusement park owners must comply with all of the following safety requirements:
Hire qualified inspectors to perform annual inspections
Complete state forms and submit all required safety documentation
Qualified inspectors must follow nationwide industry standards
Suing an Amusement Park for Your Injuries
The new amusement park legislation requires amusement park owners to hire ride operators who are at least 16 years of age or older. The operators may only operate one ride at a time and must be physically present while the ride is in operation. The law also allows injured amusement park customers to bring a lawsuit against amusement park ride owners and operators.
Amusement park owners owe their customers a heightened duty of care that applies when customers are riding amusements and walking around the park. Tennessee courts apply the same heightened standard of care that common carriers owe their customers to amusement parks. Amusement parks must use the same degree of care a reasonable person would exercise under similar circumstances in the design, construction, maintenance, repair, and inspection of the ride.
Contact Our Nashville Amusement Park Accident Attorney
When amusement park owners fail to make their rides as safe as possible with proper maintenance, repair, and instruction, they may be liable for injuries or deaths caused by their rides. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury at Dollywood or another Tennessee theme park, we can help. We fight assertively on behalf of our clients. Contact our Nashville personal injury law firm today to schedule your initial consultation and learn how our attorneys can help you.
