A 13-year-old lost her feet yesterday, when she severed them while riding an amusement park ride at a Six Flags amusement park in Kentucky. She was riding the Superman Tower of Power when a frayed cable snapped, hitting the girl’s legs and severing both of them above her ankle. She was immediately taken to a hospital for surgery.
The ride takes passengers up to 177 feet and then drops them at 54mph. Amusement park officials are trying to determine the cause of the accident, and Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. has shut down similar rides at other parks throughout the U.S.
Intamin AG made the Superman ride but not all the parts.
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions says that in 2005, there we about 1,713 ride-related injuries. 132 of the injuries were serious.
Accidents at amusement parks are not uncommon. At an amusement park in Arkansas last month, riders were left suspended upside down while riding a roller coaster. At the Six Flags in Vallejo, California, six people were hospitalized after rider spent four hours at 70 feet. Eight years ago at the Six Flags park in Kentucky, roller coaster passengers were stranded up at 60 feet for over three hours.
Accidents leading to injuries that are caused because of another’s negligence can be grounds for a personal injury claim or lawsuit. When an amusement park accident leads to injuries, there may be more than one liable party. The amusement park, its parent company, amusement park employees, maintenance workers, amusement park manufacturers, and others may be accountable for personal injury, including for premises liability, products liability, and wrongful death.
Lebowitz and Mzhen handles personal injury claims throughout the state of Maryland and Washington D.C. We are known for our superior legal service and excellent results.
We also handle injury cases involving underage victims.
To schedule a free consultation with Lebowitz and Mzhen, contact us today.
Six Flags shuts down ride in Illinois following Kentucky accident, Postcrescent.com, June 22, 2007
Freak Amusement Park Accident Severs Girl’s Feet, New York Times, June 22, 2007
Girl’s Feet Severed on Superman Ride, ABC News, June 22, 2007
Amusement Park Injury Statistics, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
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