While amusement parks and rides are intended to thrill participants, when riders fear for their lives, the thrill can quickly turn to terror. Recent visitors to the Las Vegas Strip were in for an unwelcome “thrill” shortly after midnight on September 17, when the High Roller stopped working, stranding riders for nearly ninety minutes.
According to the Clark County Fire Department, the cause of the incident was that a pod on the observation wheel tilted and could not reset. The ride is designed to stop automatically if the tilt becomes too much, which is exactly what it did. Fortunately, everyone was cleared from the ride without injury.
According to their website, the ride raises participants 550 feet into the air and is purportedly “the largest observation wheel in North America.” Caesars Entertainment, owners of the venue and ride, responded in a statement shortly after saying that the attraction had stopped because of network connectivity issues.
It is Estimated That Approximately 100 People Each Year are Injured at Amusement Venues in Las Vegas
While most attractions and amusement venues in Las Vegas are typically safe, accidents have happened. It has been estimated that approximately 100 people are injured in our attractions each year. While most of these accidents are unavoidable, some are due to the owner’s or operator’s negligence.
Who Regulates Amusement Park Safety?
Amusement park safety is regulated by state and local laws, with state and local governments responsible for establishing their own safety protocols for any rides that operate in their area. Unfortunately, there is no federal oversight and the state of Nevada, unlike most other states, does not regularly inspect rides after the initial installation inspection.
This leaves owners and operators regulating their own attractions, something akin to the wolf guarding the henhouse.
For innocent riders who trust that the venue owners have safeguards in place to protect them, without regularly scheduled inspections, who knows if these safeguards are working or operational? In Nevada, anyone who sustains an injury because of the negligence, carelessness, or recklessness of another may be able to bring a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation. This includes injuries at major amusement parks.
Premises Liability and Theme Park Injuries
In Nevada, theme parks are commercial enterprises that are governed under premises liability laws. These hold owners or other “occupiers” liable for the safety and wellbeing of all who use their facilities, whether they are injured on a ride or just as a guest on the property.
When amusement park owners have been negligent in keeping the property safe for others, they can be held accountable for any accidents and injuries caused by their negligence and be held financially liable for any costs and damages that resulted from the injury. These damages can include medical costs, lost time from work, pain and suffering, or any possible future issues that may arise from the injuries.
Getting Legal Assistance After an Amusement Park Injury
Unfortunately, negligence can be hard to prove, especially when you are going up against a large company with equally large insurance companies protecting them. In Nevada, some venues ask participants to sign liability waivers before participating in their activities.
If you have been injured in an amusement park accident, you owe it to yourself to get the legal advice of a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who understands our laws surrounding theme park accidents, assumption of risk, and comparative negligence.
Contact the injury attorneys at LV Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your case and understand your legal rights.