The world is opening back up, and families are escaping their homes for new adventures, and Cedar Point Amusement Park will be a destination to some. Like any adventure, there are risks and amusement parks have more than their share. In 2018, Cedar Point saw the pinnacle of risk after their new roller coaster, Steel Vengeance, had two trains collide at the passenger loading station on opening day.
When people visit amusement parks, they do not anticipate sustaining an injury, but both minor and major accidents can happen and have permanent or life-threatening effects. The Cleveland amusement park accident attorneys at Paulozzi LPA are here to help those injured due to amusement parks’ negligence or reckless behavior.
The Steel Vengeance is “the world’s first steel-on-wood hybrid roller coaster to stand over 200 feet tall,” touts a Cedar Point spokesperson. Previously the ride was known as the Mean Streak but has been refurbished into this world-record-setting attraction. The new hybrid roller coaster gets up to 74 miles per hour and has the steepest drop of any hybrid coaster with 90 degrees and the longest drop at 200 feet.
The accident occurred after a moving train hit a parked train in the loading zone of the roller coaster. Four riders sought medical attention, but no major injuries were reported. The train-to-train collision shut down the ride temporarily. The riders returned to the park later in the day, and the ride reopened later that night.
This is not the first dangerous incident concerning one of the rides at Cedar Point. In the summer of 2015, a 45-year-old man died after the roller coaster, The Raptor, struck him when he hopped a fence to retrieve his cell phone which he dropped during the ride. The ride was moving at 57 mph when he was either hit by the ride or one of the riders.
In 2017, a ride malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus. Several were injured and Tyler Jarell was killed. He was just a teenager. A little more than a year later, one of the injured died from a traumatic brain injury sustained in the accident.
In 2019, the Ohio governor signed Tyler’s Law in response to the accident. The law heightens safety inspection standards and requires theme park rides to be inspected by qualified individuals.
Even with rigorous safety standards and regulations, accidents continue to happen. The negligence of the park administrators and operators usually are the common causes of injuries, including:
Amusement parks can be a source of joy and excitement, but they can also be a hotbed of injuries. When accidents do happen, victims need a knowledgeable and experienced lawyer. The Cleveland amusement park accident attorneys at Paulozzi LPA are here to defend their rights.
If you or a loved one has been injured at an amusement park, contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at 888-710-0040.
