Evie Evans, an 8-year-old girl from Riverside, was injured after she got hit in the face by a cell phone while riding a roller coaster at Magic Mountain in Valencia.
According to a news report on Fox 11 Los Angeles, the girl had to get 10 stitches to close the facial wound and her family is looking for answers as to how it happened. Continue reading →
A family of three was injured, the mother critically, when a log ride malfunctioned at Castle Park in Riverside the afternoon of May 26. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the apparent malfunction caused one of the cars to come down a ramp at a high rate of speed ejecting an individual off the ride. The height from which the mother was ejected from the ride was not clear. The log came to a stop where the water was not deep. The mother, father and daughter were all transported to an area hospital. Officials said the injuries appeared critical and that the mother was still “responsive” when she was transported. Continue reading →
Firefighters rescued 21 people nearly eight hours after they became stranded 125 feet up on the disabled Sky Cabin ride at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the amusement park incident occurred the afternoon of December 30, 2016 when the ride became stuck. There were 20 passengers and one operator aboard the slow-moving ride, which gives riders panoramic views of Orange County. No one was injured although some riders appeared distraught.
The riders, both adults and children, were harnessed to firefighters who lowered them one by one. It took nearly eight hours for the entire rescue operation to be completed. The ride goes up to more than 180 feet. It apparently got stuck at 125 feet. There is no word yet on what caused the incident. Knott’s has shut down the ride until an investigation into the cause is complete. The ride got stuck on June 22, 2008 as well, but that rescue operation was completed in an hour without injuries. Continue reading →
Sabrina Gordon, 31, a U.S. Navy veteran died after falling 36 feet off a new attraction at the San Bernardino County Fair. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, Gordon fell the night of May 28, 2015 from the FreeDrop USA at the fairgrounds on 7th Street and Desert Knoll Drive in Victorville. Gordon was recruiting at a CrossFit booth at the fair when she made a last-minute decision to go on the non-mechanical attraction where participants jump from the top of a scaffolding-type structure on to a large air pillow.
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The Ferris wheel at Disney California Adventure Park malfunctioned the afternoon of October 2, 2014 stranding riders for nearly two hours.
According to a news report in the Orange County Register, the iconic rider, known as Mickey’s Fun Wheel, temporarily broke down.
No injuries were reported. All guests were evacuated from the ride.
About 30 people Continue reading →
Officials are looking into how 52-year-old Rosa Ayala-Goana fell to her death while riding a rollercoaster the evening of July 19, 2013 at the Six Flags amusement park in Arlington, a suburb of Dallas.
According to a report in the Corpus-Christi Caller, witnesses said the woman was concerned moments before the 14-story Iron Rattler rollercoaster ride began that the safety bar had not completely engaged. The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office confirmed that the 52-year-old Dallas resident suffered multiple traumatic injuries during the fall.
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Three visitors to Knott’s Berry Farm suffered minor injuries when the stagecoach in which they were passengers tipped over after a wheel detached from the vehicle, according to ABC News.
There were a total of 14 passengers in the stagecoach when the crash occurred, but only three were transported to a local hospital complaining of minor injuries. Knott’s Berry Farm officials stated that the ride will be closed until a full investigation can be made into the cause of the accident.
Amusement Park Accidents More Common in Recent Months
The Newport Beach personal injury law firm of Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP will be representing two victims of the recent Knott’s Berry Farm Pony Express ride accident, which occurred the night of October 7, 2010. We are representing victims injured in this amusement park ride accident, one of whom said that both he and his girlfriend’s mother had sustained back injuries.
The ride accident happened when the Pony Express malfunctioned and one of the trains drifted backward and hit another set of cars. The Knott’s Berry Farm accident is being investigated by the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), which oversees amusement parks. Ten people were transported to the hospital with what were described as “minor” injuries. The investigation of this injury accident could take several days or even weeks.
My heart goes out to everyone who was injured in this ride accident. I wish all the victims here the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
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A Yo-Yo Chair Ride that crashed during the Calaveras County Fair in May injuring 21 children was not properly maintained by its owner, the California Department of Industrial Relations has ruled. According to an Associated Press news article, the state department’s report found a damaged washer had failed to hold a pair of nuts in place on the Yo-Yo Chair Ride. That apparently caused the ride’s swing arms to collapse causing 21 amusement park ride injuries on the Yo-Yo Chair Ride.
The report also said that the ride’s owner, Brass Ring Amusements Midway of Fun, operated the ride without the required inspections, certifications and documentation that was needed to make sure the ride was safe. The ride owner is based in Oroville, California.
The amusement park accident at Calaveras County Fair was one of two California ride accidents that led Chance Rides Manufacturing Inc. to recall 85 defective Yo-Yo rides in October. The other accident occurred in Angels Camp, California injuring 23 people. In addition, a third incident in March 2006, involved a Yo-Yo ride in Six Flags in Arlington, Texas, that malfunctioned. Nine people suffered bruises as well as back and neck injuries in that ride accident. The Wichita, Kansas based amusement park ride manufacturer recalled the rides to repair defects.
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Eight people were taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries after they were injured in an amusement park escalator accident at Universal Studios on November 17, 2008, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The accident occurred at the theme park at 3900 Lankershim Boulevard after the escalator started to suddenly malfunction. Park officials said the escalator, which connects two levels of the park, came to sudden stop and for unknown reasons went into reverse, throwing visitors off their feet and down the stairwell. The malfunctioning escalator was also situated on a hillside.
It is fortunate that there were no serious injuries as a result of this escalator malfunction. I hope the injuries described in this newspaper article as “minor” were in fact minor and wish the injured victims the very best for a speedy recovery.
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California Injury Blog