Tennessee Amusement Park Accidents
Amusement park injuries and deaths have become much less frequent over the years. This is mainly attributable to increased safety standards promulgated in response to litigation. However, lax regulation and negligence on the part of operators remains the cause of many amusement park accidents every year. Here are a few examples of accidents that have occurred in Tennessee:
- In June 1980, 21 people were injured at a water park in Memphis when the waterslide they were on collapsed, causing them to fall 40 feet to the ground. Fault was placed on the slide operators who failed to adequately monitor the number of patrons using the slide.
- In March 2004, a 51-year-old woman was killed after falling 60 feet from a swinging gondola ride, known as The Hawk, at the Rockin’ Raceway in Pigeon Forge. Her death was caused by the failure of her safety restraint, the result of negligence on the part of the ride’s manager, who was later convicted of reckless homicide.
- In June 2007, 44 riders were stranded on the “Timber Tower” ride at Dollywood after it malfunctioned and the safety system engaged. Passengers were stuck at the top of the ride for hours, having to be rescued by the Sevierville Fire Department.
On January 1, 2009, Tennessee began a mandatory inspection program for amusement park rides. Prior to this, inspections were left to individual operators. This created a lack of incentives for the operators, who were often weary of the expense of regular inspections
State inspections have become necessary to ensure that ride operators are meeting guidelines. Without proper supervision, errors in ride administration are often not discovered until it is too late. This leads to accidents, Tennessee Personal Injury cases, and deaths that could have been avoided had appropriate steps been taken before the accident. In response to the amusement park industry’s inability to self-regulate, government inspection has become necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of riders.
