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Safety Commission Releases Theme Park Stats: Thousands Injured Every Year

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December 9, 2017

No place on earth has more theme parks, carnivals, and festivals than Southern California. From the grandfather of them all, Disneyland, to literally dozens of parks like Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain, you could spend an entire year trying to see them all! While that may be a boon to the economy in Los Angeles and surrounding counties, it may also be a plague to park owners.

Report Raises Concern Over Lack of Consistent Regulations

 

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission released statistics in July that indicate there are thousands of injuries each year around the country. Los Angeles County isn’t the only area that has suffered lawsuits filed by injured visitors or their guardians, but personal injury attorneys like Sherwin Arzani are kept busy with suits claiming negligence. With such widespread concern, it is important for anyone visiting a theme park to be aware of the potential for injury and also what to do in the event you are injured. Part of the reason injuries are so widespread, according to the Commission, is that regulations are often inconsistent from park to park, even within a single county or municipality.

A Real Need for the Collection of Data

 

Another huge part of the problem is a lack of data. The report added that little data has been collected, which makes assessing the potential for danger even more difficult than it already is. It is hard to determine which type of activity has the greatest potential to result in injuries because data has yet to be collected nationally. Some studies have queried hospitals and emergency rooms in the vicinity of theme parks, but those are not standard throughout the industry or around the nation. There is a real need, according to the Commission, for better collection and distribution of data on injuries sustained. Types of injuries and frequency of injuries should be a minimum of what is collected and disseminated.

Looking at Statistics from Two Opposing Vantage Points

 

On the one hand, there is the Commission that seeks to elevate public awareness on the potential for injury while on the other hand there is the International Association for Amusement Parks that paints a very different picture. According to the Association, more than 35 million people visit theme parks over the course of a year but the chance of being kept overnight at a hospital due to an injury is only one in 16 million.

What attorneys like Sherwin Arzani want theme park visitors to know is that they have every right to file for medical expenses and damages in the event of an injury. Theme parks need to be held accountable for negligence and perhaps if they were made to bear the burden more often, they’d take better precautions to ensure the safety of visitors. Most injuries are admittedly minor, but some visitors have died from accidents at theme parks and fairs. Get documentable medical help first and don’t talk to anyone about the injuries except the lawyer representing you. Injuries are more common than the average consumer knows about and this is why you should know with to do in the event of sustaining an injury yourself.

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