Summer Time Injuries at Your Favorite Park

It could have been worse. That’s what we all keep telling ourselves. It could have been much worse. It could have been nearly any other ride at the park, and people might have died. But just because it could have been worse doesn’t mean that it’s okay to display such a level of negligence, especially at a place that attracts so many young adults and children.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is one of the preeminent theme parks in America, and with Americans spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for hotels, entry fees, and souvenirs, it is reasonable for visitors to expect the park to be safe. Yet incidents such as the recent derailment of the Ninja roller coaster continue to happen all too often.

The accident was almost inevitable without proper upkeep. The design of the ride required Ninja to swoop in and out of the trees, leaving it vulnerable to hanging branches or other debris. Despite this obvious issue, a dangling tree branch seems to have been the culprit in the accident that left four people injured and dozens more perched perilously on the coaster for hours.

The Ninja is one of the less dangerous coasters at the park. Magic Mountain has dozens of rides that propel people at much greater speeds and up to much greater heights, and many rides there could leave riders trapped upside down if anything goes wrong. It could have been much worse, but it was still very bad.

The injured individuals, and the other riders, could be affected in many ways, some of which might take years to fully manifest:

• Neck, back and head injury from the sudden stop of the derailment.
• A cardiac event as a result of the shock to the system of the ride derailing.
• Blood clots or other problems of the circulatory system due to being trapped in an uncomfortable position for a prolonged period of time.
• Post-traumatic stress, including difficulties with sleep and appetite, as a long-term psychological consequence.

If you or someone you love has been injured or suffered psychological distress as a result of an amusement park accident, it is important that you contact a lawyer. Theme parks all too often move on from these incidents without making the systemic changes necessary to protect future visitors, and the only way to ensure they make these changes is to have an experienced attorney willing to fight to make them do what is right.