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(USGovernment-News.Com, October 27, 2014 ) Jackson, MS -- Earlier this month, many residents and visitors of Jackson, Mississippi enjoyed the state fair. From livestock shows to belly-flipping rides, there was much to be amused by throughout the mile-long carnival.
Last year, as many may recall, something unexpected occurred here. One seven-year old child, with his mother in the seat behind him, got more than the thrill he expected from a fair ride called The Skyride. It is much like a sky lift, with seats lined on a cables that carry its passengers over the stretch of the fairgrounds. Although is unknown exactly why, the young rider had an unfortunate, 30-foot fall off the Skyride. Luckily the boy survived, but was found to be in serious condition. He was diagnosed at the University Medical Center with a compound fracture, among other injuries.
As almost seven thousand people are injured by amusement rides every year, this child is certainly not the first – but who should be held responsible when things like this go wrong? Let’s review possible options.
Some people have given their opinion that the child’s parent should be at fault for allowing them to go alone on high or fast-moving rides. However, in the case of the Jackson boy, he was found to have met the height requirements, which are typically entrusted to be the safety standard.
In some cases, the equipment owner, contractor, renter, or maintenance worker could be looked at for blame. With the Skyride, there were no maintenance issues and it was found to be in perfect working order. One hazard could be that the ride does have a metal lap bar, but does not have the extra security of a seatbelt. In addition, news reports at the time mentioned that are no plans to make changes to the ride.
What about the land owner, since this occured on thier premises? Or should the city or state be put at fault for allowing rides like this to continue being in service on at their fair without extra precautions? In the example of the Skyride, the boy’s fall was the first injury to ever occur from the ride, and it has been deemed safe for use since then.
Out of thousands of people that are harmed in this type of atmosphere, a little over 20% of them are hurt on carousels or merry-go-rounds. Roller coasters have been found to cause only about 10% of these injuries. Around 4% come from the use of bumper cars.
Because each of these cases is unique, no one entity can be blamed without having full details of the individual incident. One thing is for certain: if someone has been harmed on an amusement ride, they should seek the advice of a personal injury attorney to at least look into what happened. With many lawyers, such as Jackson-based attorney Richard Schwartz, consultations are free. His office can be reached at 1-888-366-2401. For more information on what to do after a tragic injury occurs, visit www.1call.ms .
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