A number of different theme park accidents can take place in including:

Slips and trips

Accidents are usually the result of poor cleaning and maintenance, or a lack of suitable safety measures. If you think that your accident may be the result of someone else’s negligence then you may be eligible to claim compensation. In theme parks, hidden hazards, mud or cables can all cause accidents.

Faulty or defective rides and machinery / human operating errors

If you are riding on an attraction at a theme park and it malfunctions or breaks down injuries can occur due to sudden jolts or impact.

In 2015, four people were seriously injured in a rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers that was found to be the result of human error. The accident caused two individuals to have their legs amputated below the knee.

Food poisoning

Contracting food poisoning after eating food at cafes and restaurants inside a theme park is one of the most common compensation claims made by theme park-goers.

Falling objects

A number of different objects could come loose and fall on theme park visitors if they are not maintained properly. These include signposts, fencing or ride equipment.

What you should do following an accident at a theme park

To make a successful personal injury compensation claim, you would need to prove that another person was responsible for your injury (in this case, the owner of the Amusement Park, Theme Park or Funfair, the fairground operators, the owners of the attraction, the local authority or private owners of the land on which the events are taking place).

To help your case, you should report the accident to the staff at the time, make a note of your accident in the accident book, take names and addresses of any witnesses to the accident and if possible take photographs of the area where the accident happened.  You may also need to report the accident directly to the Health and Safety Executive.

If you are intending to claim expenses such as prescription costs and travelling expenses, remember to keep your receipts as evidence.

How Much Compensation?

All personal injury cases are unique and so the amount of compensation that is awarded in each case is also unique. Compensation is understood by looking at two specific factors: general damages and special damages.

General Damages

The pain and suffering that your injuries have caused are main factors that are used to determine how much general damage compensation you are owed. This will usually be determined by undergoing a medical examination, from which a report is created that highlights the length of time the injuries will take to heal as well as their severity. Our compensation calculator will give you an indication of how much general damage compensation you might be entitled to based upon your injuries.

Special Damages

In addition to receiving compensation for your injuries, you may be able to reclaim any financial losses that you might have suffered as a result of your injuries. Compensation for financial losses is known as special damages compensation. This can include losses such as loss of earnings due to not being able to return to work, the cost of treatment as well as travel to treatment. It is important that you keep any receipts or evidence of additional losses in order for these to be reclaimed. With the exception of children, there is a three-year time limit on making a personal injury claim. This time limit begins from the date that the accident initially occurred. Therefore, you should contact a personal injury solicitor as soon as possible to assess your case.