Amusement Park and Ride Injuries in Pennsylvania

The records exist

Amusement rides in Pennsylvania are subject to inspection and to reporting requirements for injuries. That means the following documents exist somewhere:

• Inspection certificates and reports for the ride.
• Daily and periodic maintenance logs.
• Manufacturer bulletins and required modifications.
• Operator training records for the person running the ride.
• Prior incident reports for the same ride, which establish notice.

Request preservation early, because parks operate seasonally and records get archived.

What usually goes wrong

• Restraint failure, or a restraint that was not checked before dispatch.
• Operator error, including dispatching before restraints were secured.
• Maintenance failure, particularly of mechanical and hydraulic components.
• Rider size and health restrictions not enforced despite being posted.
• Water park hazards, including slide design, water depth and lifeguard supervision.
• Slip hazards on queue lines and walkways, which are ordinary premises claims.

Waivers and tickets

The reverse of a ticket and the terms accepted online will usually purport to disclaim liability. These are not automatically effective against claims of negligent maintenance or operation, and their enforceability against a child’s claim is a genuinely open question.

Do not treat the small print as the end of the matter.

Report before you leave

Ask for an incident report and get the report number. Parks handle a large volume of minor incidents and a verbal complaint to a ride attendant does not create a record.

Photograph the ride, the restraint, the queue area and any posted restrictions. Get names and numbers from other riders, who disperse immediately.

Injuries that appear later

Ride forces can produce injuries that present hours or days afterwards, including neck injury and, in some cases, more serious vascular events. Getting checked and having the ride recorded as the cause matters, because a delayed presentation with no incident report is very difficult to connect.