Every summer, thousands of Texas families head to theme parks for a day of fun and relaxation. While most of them will have an exciting and fun-filled day, others will have their dreams squashed whenever they experience an accident. Theme park accidents can happen in a number of ways, including:

• Negligent operation of rides or attractions
• Failure to maintain the premises or equipment
• Wild animals that attack patrons
• Food poisoning
• Failure to provide the proper security
• Drowning or other injuries on water slides
• Types of Injuries

Types of Theme Park Injuries

The types of injuries one can experience while at a theme park is almost endless. Even so, there are a few types of injuries that happen more frequently than others:

• Head injuries
• Broken bones
• Whiplash
• Back injuries
• Severed limbs

Many of these injuries happen on rides or on water park attractions such as slides. Theme park operators should inspect these attractions before their facility opens every day, but that doesn’t always happen. What’s more, malfunctioning rides are not always closed down at the first sign of a problem out of fear that certain guests will become disgruntled. As a result, people often suffer needlessly because their injuries should have been prevented in the first place.

Actions after an Accident

Those who suffer an injury at an amusement park should report it to the proper authorities before leaving the park. This is true even if the injury appears to be rather minor. In many cases, it is only after there have been several reported injuries that theme park staff take action to correct deficiencies, which is why it is important to have this information documented.

If an injury is severe, medical attention should be sought right away. Theme parks have personnel on site who can administer emergency assistance until medical help arrives. These personnel should be notified so that the proper help can be rendered and an ambulance called if need be.

Legal Documentation

Copies of all medical bills need to be forwarded to park administrators so that patrons can be reimbursed for their claims. It can also be a good idea to document any communications between the injured party and park staff. That way, if there is a delay in obtaining relief, it will be easy to justify filing a lawsuit. Texas courts normally require litigants to use the court system as a last resort, which is why people may need to show they have made an effort to obtain relief first.