Eighteen people, including a dozen children, recently were injured when a carnival ride malfunctioned. The incident occurred last week at the Oyster Festival in Norwalk, Connecticut, southwest of Hartford. State police are investigating what caused the malfunction and whether any other premises liability concerns exist with such rides.
According to reports, a “swing ride” suddenly lost power and stopped abruptly. Parents were forced to watch helplessly as the ride’s parts crashed together with children still inside. Fortunately, the injuries were all described as non-life-threatening. Most of the victims were released from local hospitals the day of the incident.
Only one person, an eight year-old boy, was held at the hospital overnight. However, he was released the following day after being treated for a leg injury.
There have been a number of incidents on amusement park rides leading up to this event. Earlier this year, a mother was killed on a roller coaster. Some would argue there’s an inherent risk that carnival rides pose to the park’s occupants. That said, being thrown from a coaster or a ride falling apart are not he only ways a person can be injured at a park while attempting to enjoy a day of recreation.
Dangerous property conditions can exist at parks, malls and anywhere else the public is welcome to visit. Recovering damages for the injuries sustained, though, can be challenging. It is often necessary to locate the property owner and negotiating a damages award. From trips and slips to falling debris, an infinite number of things can injure a visitor. Anyone of these incidents could entitle the person injured to a monetary award.
Source: NBC Connecticut, “Malfunction on Carnival Ride Injures 18 People,” Jennifer Pineiro, Jamie Ratliff and Liz Dahlem, Sept. 8, 2013
