Illinois Amusement Park Lawyer
Claims from injuries sustained during a trip to an amusement park range from food poisoning, to a slip and fall getting on or off a ride, to a serious injury on an attraction. If you are a victim of an amusement park injury, you owe it to yourself and loved ones to understand that you have certain legal rights.
The Consumer Protection Safety Commission estimates the number of serious injuries on amusement park rides that are severe enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room has risen to almost 5,000 annually. Unfortunately, the CPSC's ability to gather accurate information is seriously hampered by the loophole in the 1981 act—the so-called roller coaster loophole. This loophole prohibits the CPSC from regulating the safety of rides that are fixed to a specific site while mobile rides, those that move from location to location, fall under their jurisdiction. Although legislation has been introduced in Congress, it has failed to become law.
As such, injury on a fixed ride falls to the law of the state where the injury occurred. Therefore it is important for you contact an attorney who can advise you of your rights.
State-by-state regulation
CPSC regulation supplements state regulation where states have adopted inspections programs, and provides some measure of protection in states that have none. Currently the following states have no inspection program: Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Vermont. Moreover, Florida exempts theme parks with more than 1,000 employees, Virginia relies on private inspections and New York exempts New York City (which includes Coney Island.)
States with inspection programs are very uneven depending on which agency has the responsibility and whether its expertise is design, operator training, manufacturing, etc. No state, and no industry organization, provides the national clearinghouse function that the CPSC currently provides for mobile rides and could provide for fixed-site rides.
Free and confidential consultations—no fee unless we get results
We work on a contingency basis. This means that you are only asked to pay if we are successful in achieving a positive outcome for you. Call 312-445-9101 or toll free at 888-489-5581 or contact us online today to discuss your case with an experienced attorney. From our law offices in Chicago, the personal injury attorneys of Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. help people across Chicagoland, greater Illinois and the United States.
