Amusement Park Accident Lawyers in New Mexico

CALL (800) 863-5312 TO speak with amusement park injury lawyers in new mexico for free

Amusement parks, carnivals, and fairs can provide a fun and enjoyable time for you and your family, and you expect them to be safe. Sadly, accidents can and do occur, which can turn a fun family outing into a nightmare. A ride malfunction, careless operator, or poorly maintained or erected equipment can all cause significant injuries or worse; these injuries may leave you unable to work while facing mounting medical bills.

If you have been injured at an amusement park, carnival, or fair, you should contact the experienced New Mexico injury lawyers from Zinda Law Group as soon as possible by calling (800) 863-5312. If we are not able to win your case, you will not owe us anything.

amusement park safety

Like most entertainment and leisure venues that are open to the public for business, amusement parks have an obligation to ensure their premises are safe. The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) estimates that over a thousand people a year are injured in amusement parks. Among these injuries, the IAAPA estimates that 10 percent were serious injuries requiring hospitalization, and the frequency of serious injuries is on the rise; most injuries occurred on family and adult rides, followed by roller coasters and children’s rides.

It should be noted that these estimates only take into consideration information from fixed-place amusement parks and attractions, as no information from attractions such as traveling carnivals or fairs was able to be gathered. Without reliable information from these sources, the number of injuries each year is likely higher.

The lack of uniform oversight for amusement parks, carnivals, and fairs is a significant reason for the difficulty in obtaining accurate injury statistics; while temporary carnivals and fairs have some oversight from the Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC), fixed installation parks are governed by local and state regulations. The limited ability of the CPSC to effectively regulate every small carnival and fair and lack of uniform regulation for fixed site amusement parks may allow park operators to operate less safely than they would otherwise. This lack of information and oversight also makes it more difficult to provide full transparency of the risks and dangers that may exist in these establishments.

is the amusement park liable?

Amusement parks, fairs, and carnivals must generally take any appropriate steps to ensure their rides and premises are safe for customers. While we may hear about terrible accidents where a ride goes wrong and results in serious injuries, many injuries may be much more mundane in nature, such as tripping and falling due to wiring running across the ground or debris. Amusement parks and other attractions may contain a variety of potential dangers if the proper precautions are not taken.

Rides

The main attractions at most amusement parks and attractions are the various rides. Amusement parks should ensure that rides are properly maintained, for poorly maintained rides may break down or operate in a dangerous manner. Traveling carnivals and fairs that frequently assemble and disassemble their rides must take extra caution, as this can cause increased wear and tear on parts; they must also exercise proper caution when erecting their rides to ensure that rides are assembled correctly and safely, so as to prevent accidents.

Attraction operators should also ensure the rides they choose to feature are well designed and are free from inherent flaws that may injury. If an injury occurs due to a mechanical failure or flawed design, the amusement park may be liable. A personal injury lawyer in New Mexico can help you determine whether your injuries were caused by a poorly maintained or badly designed ride.

Equipment Failure

Sometimes, even if the amusement park performs proper maintenance and ensures a ride is safe, the equipment may fail in an unexpected and unforeseen manner. If this failure was caused by a manufacturing or design flaw by the manufacturer and causes an accident, the manufacturer of the equipment may be liable.

Operators

Amusement parks should ensure that employees tasked with operating rides are well trained in their operation. A poorly trained employee may unknowingly operate a ride in an unsafe manner, which may cause patrons to be injured. Ride operators should also be sure to pay close attention to their work, and they must ensure that ride passengers are following proper procedures when boarding and disembarking from rides, and properly using safety features such as harnesses or restraints.

If an injury occurs due to an inattentive or poorly trained ride operator, the amusement park may be liable. A New Mexico amusement park injury lawyer may be able to help you prove an operator behaved in a negligent manner.

Premises

The grounds of the amusement park or carnival itself can be dangerous. Amusement parks must ensure that dangerous areas, such as an area that may be in the path of a ride at times, are properly closed off to the public. They should also ensure that premises are free from debris and spills, while warning customers of the existence of potential dangers.

Traveling carnivals and attractions may also have wires running along the ground in various places due to their temporary nature. These wires may pose a tripping hazard and cause slip and fall accidents, or in some cases, result in electrocution. Broken or uneven ground may also result in a slip and fall accident.

Security

Amusement parks, carnivals, and fairs are naturally going to be high-traffic areas, with guests constantly leaving and arriving. Criminals may seek to take advantage of this, so amusement parks should take steps to ensure proper security on their premises and in parking lots. Premises and parking lots should be well lit and have security cameras and/or personnel when it may be warranted.

If you have been injured as a result of criminal activity at an amusement park, a New Mexico injury attorney may be able to help you prove the park was negligent in its provision for security. Depending on the specific details of your case and the nature of the accident that caused your injuries, the amusement park owner, product manufacturer, and/or ride operator may be liable.