Amusement Park Accidents and the Hidden Killers: Heart Attacks and Strokes

A trip to an amusement park is meant to be an amazing, entertaining experience. Indeed, there is a reason why Disneyland, and other Disney properties, are called "the Magic Kingdom."

In the vast majority of cases, barring a tummy ache from too much junk food, a visit to an amusement park proves to be a tremendous experience. However, with what is alarming frequency, visitors to theme parks are involved in accidents that at times can result in serious injuries.

The media naturally highlights the major catastrophic accidents that do occur at theme or amusement parks from time to time. What oftentimes are overlooked are the accidents in which one individual ends up seriously injured, or even killed, because of some sort of mishap at an amusement park.

Perhaps the most overlooked type of injury that occurs at an amusement park, involves a person who experiences a heart attack or a stroke on a thrill ride. These types of injuries are underreported by amusement parks in many locations in the United States. Moreover, many people who experience heart attacks or strokes on a thrill ride do not recognize that the negligence of the amusement park itself may have contributed to the extreme medical event in a number of different ways.

There are a number of ways in which an amusement park can be responsible, at least in part, for a heart attack or stroke sustained by a person riding on an attraction. An amusement park injury lawyer from The Doan Law Firm can filly explain how an amusement park might be responsible for damages and injuries sustained while on a ride or elsewhere at a venue.

Improper Warning

An amusement park has an obligation to post an appropriate warning about potential risks associated with a particular attraction. This can include a warning about potential health risks and advisements to individuals with certain types of medical conditions. If these warnings are not complete or not in a conspicuous location, an amusement park may have opened the door to potential responsibility for certain types of issues.

Improper Ride Operation

Another area in which an amusement park may be held liable for an injury like a heart attack or stroke sustained by a patron on a ride would be in a situation in which the attraction was not properly operated. For example, if an attraction operator stops the tide in an improperly sudden manner, resulting in a person sustaining an injury like a heart attack or a stroke, the theme park may be held responsible for incident resulting in physical injury.

Other Types of Negligence

A variety of other types of acts, or even inaction, can result in a person being involved in an amusement park incident, usually associated with a ride, that gives rise to a heart attack or stroke. The reality is that a person who sustains a heart attack or a stroke on the grounds of an amusement park, particularly while on a ride, must closely examine the surrounding facts and circumstances. Keep in mind that a thorough, meaningful investigation of the circumstances surrounding a health-related event at an amusement park may lead to the conclusion that the park itself negligently contributed to a heart attack, stroke, or other medical issue.

Understanding Comparative Negligence

A logical question associated with the concept of an amusement park being responsible for a patron's heart attack or stroke is what if the person somehow contributed to his or her own medical event. The reality is that the law in all 50 states take this into consideration in one of their different ways. This is done through legal doctrines known as comparative or, at times, contributory, negligence.

Some states maintain a comparative negligence law that no matter the degree to which an injured person contributed to his or her own injury, a third party can still be held responsible for its contribution to the injury. For example, even if a determination was made in a lawsuit that the injured person was 80 percent responsible for causing he event that resulted in the medical condition, the third party that contributed 20 percent would still be responsible for its share in the way of paying compensation.

In other states, if the injured person is 50 or 51 percent responsible, the other party would not owe compensation. Finally, in a very limited number of jurisdictions, if a person contributed at all to his or her injury, a third party would be off the hook for paying compensation. An amusement park injury attorney can explain how comparative negligence might work in a specific case.

Retain an Amusement Park Injury Lawyer

An initial consultation can be scheduled with an amusement park injury lawyer from The Doan Law Firm by calling (800) 349-0000. The telephone line is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An amusement park injury lawyer will schedule an initial appointment at your convenience to discuss and analyze your case. There is no charge for an initial consultation with an amusement park accident lawyer from The Doan Law Firm.