One of the most popular family vacations is visiting a theme park. These parks are filled with entertainment that fits all age levels. You can take in a show, watch a parade, mingle with your favorite characters, and ride the rides. Truthfully, most people go especially for the rides.
Central Florida is home to five major theme parks and several smaller ones. Each offers something different to the visitor, and each of them has rides. These rides, while well maintained, can still be dangerous.
Recently, a roller coaster at Universal Studios in Orlando abruptly stopped due to a malfunction in the ride. A woman was injured when her body jerked violently from the stop. The roller coaster had just been inspected and there was no reason to believe anyone was in danger. This is why many amusement parks place a liability disclaimer on the back of their entry tickets. This disclaimer is supposed to relieve them of any responsibility if an injury occurs while the ride is in operation.
Ride Disclaimers And Compensation For Injuries
Amusement parks place a disclaimer on their rides in an effort to legally protect themselves from liability. However, these disclaimers rarely hold any weight in court. A judge knows that it is very unlikely that a patron stops to read this disclaimer before entering the ride so they are not aware of any risk.
Additionally, the court will find that a child or teen does not have the legal reasoning to understand the legal terms of this waiver, thus invalidating it. The courts have also ruled on many occasions that the wording in these disclaimers is often too broad and too vague to have any legal standing.
In a majority of these cases, the court finds the disclaimer as inadmissible and the plaintiff is allowed to proceed with the request for compensation.
What To Do If You Are Injured At An Amusement Park
If you or a loved one is injured while enjoying a ride at an amusement park, there are three things that you must do:
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Report Accident Immediately. You need to make a report of the accident to the proper authorities and management of the amusement park. Without documenting the accident, it is impossible to make a claim for compensation.
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Get Immediate Medical Attention. Even if the aches and pains seem minor, you should be medically evaluated as soon as possible after the accident. Make sure to tell the medical professionals everything that you area experiencing. Even the smallest things count. Remember: a headache may actually be a concussion.
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Contact A Local Personal Injury Attorney. If your family attorney also practices personal injury, you’ll need go no further. Otherwise, you will want to contact a local attorney who is experienced in handling amusement park claims. Hiring an attorney will also help you protect your rights as a victim. Make sure that you speak to an attorney before providing any statements to the insurance company.
Thankfully, amusement park accidents do not occur often. These theme parks are very diligent about maintaining their parks. After all, they would go out of business if everyone believed they were too dangerous to visit. But accidents still occur. Knowing what to do in this type of situation will help you make the best out of a bad situation.
Nadine Swayne offers this article to advise patrons of the dangers that can lurk in theme parks. If you are injured and need to find help online, try searching the terms personal injury attorney Orlando, to aid you in finding legal representation when your amusement park experience is no longer a laughing matter.
Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/disneyworldsecets/2769248536/