Amusement Park Accidents

Summer is a great time for families to visit Southern California’s amusement parks and fairs, where you can enjoy food, games, and thrilling rides. Unfortunately, every year, rides malfunction—sometimes with tragic consequences. The worst part is that many of these accidents could have been avoided if proper care was exercised by the parties involved. Read the rest »

If you’re a thrill-seeker, it’s something you never think about. And if just the idea of riding a roller coaster makes you want to faint, it’s all you can think about – roller coaster cart derailments. This is when a cart, or seat, of a roller coaster comes unhinged from the actual rails or track, and ends up coming fully or partially off. It’s anyone’s worst nightmare, and it happens more commonly than you might think.

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It was a special day for 52-year-old woman who was visiting Six Flags in Arlington for her first time with family. After most likely enduring the long line to finally ride the Texas Giant, known as “the world’s steepest drop,” the woman entered the ride with her son and tragically fell to her death near the beginning of the ride on July 19 around 6:30 pm.

According to the medical examiner’s office, Esparza suffered multiple traumatic injuries during her fall. Although rumors suggest a ride attendant allegedly told Esparza her seat was secured after Esparza voiced concern of not feeling properly restrained, the exact cause of the roller coaster accident is still under investigation by Six Flags Entertainment Corp. Read the rest »

The fun of amusement park rides comes from the sense of danger, but the danger should only be illusory, never real. Unfortunately, when rides are not maintained properly, riders, operators, and maintenance staff can suffer injuries and need the protection of an experienced San Diego injury attorney.

One such situation may be brewing at Disneyland, where regulators from the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) are considering fining the park after workers were injured while performing maintenance on various park rides.  While cleaning the outside of the Space Mountain ride in November 2012, a contract worker slipped and fell, suffering injuries that included broken bones. Read the rest »