Girl Suffers Severe Personal Injuries in Fall from Carnival Ride
While amusement park rides can be a great family adventure over the summer, they can also be the cause of serious injuries, according to Edith Pearce, the founder of the Philadelphia injury law firm, The Pearce Law Firm. A story out of Wisconsin is a reminder to Philadelphia parents to be cautious at amusement parks to prevent child injuries. An amusement park worker in Wisconsin has been charged with first-degree reckless injury following a severe personal injury accident this summer at a Wisconsin Dells amusement park. If convicted, 33-year-old Charles Carnell could face up to 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. That's small consolation for the parents of a 12-year-old Florida girl severely injured in a 100-foot plunge from a free-fall ride and may be paralyzed. According to newspaper reports, the ride operator told police he "blanked out" as the safety catch net was not properly raised.
Similar free fall rides and bungee jumping offered at Philadelphia area fairs and festivals, amusement parks and vacation spots are a popular draw for thrill-seeking teens. Safety ropes and harnesses and the ride's longevity on carnival midways make the potential risk seem negligible to parents out for a day of fun with their kids. While the appearance of danger may heighten the thrill of carnival and amusement park rides, parents expect -- and have a right to expect -- rides to be operated safely and their children to return home safe and sound. They do not expect 2 minutes of excitement to end in critical, life-threatening injuries as it did for 12-year-old Teagan Marti.
Teagan landed on her back, suffering multiple fractures to her spine and pelvis that have resulted in paralysis of her legs and lower body. She has already weathered several surgeries to repair fractures and faces additional surgery and extended rehabilitation at American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be months before Teagan can return home to Florida. In addition to medical, medication, hospital and rehabilitation bills, Teagan's parents must shoulder considerable hotel and traveling expenses to be near their daughter so far from home.
When severe amusement ride accidents like Teagan's occur in the Philly area, Philadelphia personal injury lawyers fight aggressively to protect the rights of accident victims and their families and see that they are justly compensated for current and future losses.
