Visiting a fair or an amusement park should be an enjoyable, carefree experience. The fair can provide a full day’s worth of fun family activities like rides, games, live music and special events. Unfortunately, a day at the fair can quickly take a turn for the worse. Spinning fair rides, often the main attraction at amusement parks, carnivals and fairs, operate at high speeds and can be extremely hazardous to riders if safety rules are not enforced. Even when height, age and health-related restrictions are followed, the risk remains that the ride is faulty or poorly maintained. When a ride’s safety is compromised for any of these reasons, disastrous consequences can result.
If you or a loved one has been injured on a spinning fair ride accident, you may be entitled to relief. A defective fair ride or a third party’s negligence can cause physical and emotional trauma with long lasting effects. The attorneys of The Reiff Law Firm understand this and have protected the rights of those injured by Pennsylvania amusement park rides for more than 30 years. We will fight to ensure the responsible party is held accountable and that you receive the compensation you deserve. If you have suffered a spinning fair ride injury, call us at (215) 709-6940 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
Types of Spinning Fair Rides
Spinning rides are one of the most common types of attractions at fairs and amusement parks. You have probably seen all or many of these rides at your local Pennsylvania fair:
- Tilt-a-Whirl—a flat ride where riders climb into an egg-shaped car with an open front. The ride spins on a main axis while the car can also spin on its own small platform.
- Scrambler or Twist—riders are suspended in spinning small carriages, clustered together and connected by central beams. Riders experience centrifugal force, while spinning along two separate axes.
- Giant Swings—riders climb into a swing suspended by chains or ropes. The ride spins, causing the chairs to swing outward as the ride accelerates.
- Teacups—a ride characterized by cup-style spinning vehicles atop a turntable-like floor. Each teacup has a center bearing mounted underneath, allowing riders to control how fast they spin by turning a wheel in the middle of the car.
- Gravitron, UFO or Alien Abduction—a completely enclosed ride with padded panels along the interior for riders to lean against. The ride spins rapidly while centrifugal force pushes riders against the walls, giving the illusion of defying gravity.
- Himalaya, Super Himalaya or Music Express—20 three-passenger cars are connected in a circle, rotating on a track with alternating sloped and flat sections. The ride is intended to simulate riding on a toboggan or sled.
- Carousel or Merry-go-round—animals and chariots (serving as seats) are fixed to a circular floor that is suspended from a center pole and rotates around. Many of the seats move up and down by gears to simulate galloping.
- Condor or Sky Swat—features a long arm sitting between two towers, with rows of seats on either end of the arm. Riders “pilot” a spaceship, airplane or bird, revolving around a central point.
Injuries on Spinning Fair Rides
Though these rides are typically safe and fun, thousands of children and adults are injured on spinning rides each year, including several deaths. Injuries range greatly in severity and type. The most common are head, neck, and back injuries from car rides or from being whipped around on spinning rides. Lacerations, broken bones and torn ligaments can also result. In more severe cases, rides that operate at extremely high speeds have been shown to cause traumatic brain injuries and aneurisms. Riders are frequently injured when boarding or exiting a ride, and when clothing or body parts become stuck in ride machinery.
In rare cases, passengers have actually been thrown from spinning rides, resulting in serious injury and even death. These injuries can be caused by a wide range of factors, including an industrial defect, the park’s failure to maintain the ride, improper operation of the ride, passenger error, or simply because of the ride’s inherently dangerous nature. Pennsylvania fair spinning ride accidents can be extremely serious and riders who have been injured should seek legal help to maximize their chances of recovering compensation.
Contact a Spinning Ride Accident Injury Attorney Today
If you or your child have been involved in a Pennsylvania amusement park injury, don’t wait to get help. It’s crucial to speak with an attorney before accepting money or any other forms of compensation from a fair or amusement park. The personal injury attorneys at The Reiff Law Firm have decades of experience handling Pennsylvania spinning fair ride accident cases. We have the aggressive advocates you need to seek justice and hold third parties accountable for their negligence. We will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. If you have suffered a spinning fair ride injury, call us at (215) 709-6940 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
