Amusement park rides are supposed to be fun and exciting for children, not cause injuries and trauma. Amusement parks, fairs and malls all have rides children love riding on every year. While amusement park injuries may not be discussed very often, they certainly happen more than we think they do.
Amusement park rides can be very risky. On average, 4,423 kids are injured every year on amusement park, fair and mall rides in the United States, according to the a new study by the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Center for Injury Research and Policy. The report looked at data from more than 90,000 ride injuries between 1990 and 2000 that affected kids under the age of 18.
Ride-related injuries can be very serious and result in many children being seen in the emergency room. Kids suffered several different types of injuries but the most common ride-related injuries included whiplash, head injuries, sprains, cuts and broken bones. Specifically, the study found that 29 percent of injuries were whiplash and other soft tissue injuries. Sprains and strains resulted in 20 percent of injuries, followed by cuts and lacerations that were 20 percent of injuries. Broken bones were attributed to 10 percent of ride-related injuries.
In addition to these types of injuries, the study found that certain body parts were more likely to be injured by amusement park rides. The study reported that 29 percent of injuries involved the head or neck, 24 percent affected the arms, 18 percent involved facial injuries and 17 percent involved the legs.
Amusement park injuries can be very dangerous and cause long-term injuries to children. Amusement parks, fairs and malls can all be held liable for ride-related injuries. Our article on children’s ride injuries discusses in further detail ride-related injuries and the legal action victims can take against amusement parks, fairs and malls.
