Florida has arguably the highest density of amusement parks of anywhere in the world. With so many thrills in a relatively small geographic area, accidents are bound to happen sometimes. Of course, people choose amusement parks over sources of excitement that occur in more natural settings for a reason. One can reasonably expect to lounge by a lagoon at a theme park without getting picked off by an alligator, but all bets are off if you are lounging by a naturally occurring lagoon on public land, much as paying admission to walk through a Halloween haunted house attraction is supposed to be less dangerous than venturing into a bona fide abandoned building at your own risk. Theme parks are supposed to create the illusion of danger while, in fact, delivering a safe experience. When preventable accidents at theme parks result in death or serious injury, the theme park is legally responsible. If you have been injured in a preventable accident at a theme park, contact a Miami premises liability lawyer.
Notable Premises Liability Cases Involving Theme Parks
Premises liability laws hold that when a customer gets injured at a place of business, the customer has the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the business owner and to seek damages for medical expenses and lost income related to the accidental injury. These are some notable premises liability cases filed against theme parks in Florida:
- A two-year-old child sitting beside a lagoon at a Disney resort was killed by an alligator. The boy’s parents claimed in their lawsuit that Disney was negligent by setting up the lagoon such that alligators could get so close to people.
- A woman was walking across a dock to board a boat at a theme park when a bird flew at her head at high speed. Doctors said that the woman’s injuries were similar to those of someone who got hit in the head by a baseball. In the lawsuit, she claimed that the theme park should have ensured that birds did not nest in the trees so close to where guests walked.
- A teenager visiting from Missouri died after falling from a theme park ride. In the ensuing lawsuit, his mother claimed that the theme park operators should have ensured that his safety harness was working properly.
- A three-year-old girl was injured when the arm of an animatronic baby dinosaur struck her in the chin as it hatched out of an egg. In the lawsuit, her parents alleged that there should have been barriers at the exhibit that would have prevented visitors from getting so close to the animatronic dinosaurs.
In each of these cases, the plaintiffs were able to persuade the courts or the defendants that the theme parks could have prevented the accidents by implementing reasonable safety measures.
Contact Gerson & Schwartz About Premises Liability Cases
A premises liability lawyer can help you if you suffer accidental injuries while visiting a theme park. Contact Gerson & Schwartz in Miami, Florida, to discuss your case.