What You Should Know About Orlando Amusement Park Accident Lawsuits

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 29, 2012

Orlando amusement park accident attorney James O. Cunningham has represented injured guests and employees of amusement parks for nearly four decades. Since he began practicing law in 1977, he has seen huge safety improvements in some of the world’s most popular theme parks in the Orlando area and throughout Florida. Still, people continue to suffer serious, even fatal, injuries on and around roller coasters, water rides and other thrill rides.

Many people don’t know that in Florida, several major theme parks, including most of the big amusement parks around Orlando, are exempt from state amusement park regulations. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the number of people injured in fixed-site amusement parks across the country spiked by 25 percent in recent years, despite attendance increases of less than ten percent.

Just how popular are major amusement parks in this country? Listed below are attendance figures in millions from 2011 alone:

1. Magic Kingdom – 17.1
2. Disneyland – 16.1
3. Epcot -10.8
4. Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 9.8
5. Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 9.7
6. Islands Of Adventure – 7.7
7. Disney’s California Adventure – 6.3
8. Universal Studios Orlando – 6.0
9. SeaWorld Orlando – 5.2
10. Universal Studios Hollywood – 5.1

Notice that seven of the top ten amusement parks in the country based on attendance are here in the Orlando area. While each theme park does a fairly good job of implementing safety measures and training employees to protect their guests, dozens of people still suffer injuries each year at major theme parks in Central Florida. If you or a member of your family is injured in an accident at a theme park, you could be entitled to these and other damages:

• Product liability
  If a defect in the design or manufacture of an amusement park ride, poor maintenance, lax inspection protocols or inadequate warnings lead to an accident, your Orlando amusement park accident lawyer may be able to prove product liability or defects led to the accident.
• Premises liability
  If an amusement park operator fails to maintain their facilities with a reasonable level of care and a guest or employee suffers an injury in a trip, fall or other type of accident, your attorney could build your case around premises liability.
• Negligence
  Amusement park negligence comes in many forms such as improper ride maintenance, incomplete employee training, lack of proper security and many others. Your attorney will be able to tell you whether or not negligence was a contributing factor in causing the accident that injured you or a loved one.

If you or someone in your family has been injured at an Orlando amusement park, it is a very good idea to speak with Mr. Cunningham or another experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer before you sign any documents. A representative from the amusement park may approach you shortly after the accident and offer some compensation in exchange for your signature. You should know that signing these documents usually prevents you from seeking additional damages against the amusement park. Before you sign anything, call Mr. Cunningham at 800-425-2004 to schedule a free consultation. He will review any documentation and protect your rights, and he may be able to help you receive the fair and just compensation you deserve.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.