California Injury Blog
A family of three was injured, the mother critically, when a log ride malfunctioned at Castle Park in Riverside the afternoon of May 26. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the apparent malfunction caused one of the cars to come down a ramp at a high rate of speed ejecting an individual off the ride. The height from which the mother was ejected from the ride was not clear. The log came to a stop where the water was not deep. The mother, father and daughter were all transported to an area hospital. Officials said the injuries appeared critical and that the mother was still “responsive” when she was transported.
Ongoing Investigation
It is not clear what might have caused the accident. CBS2 noted a lack of water in this ramp and surmised that a pump failure might have caused the accident. While the park remained open, the log ride was closed pending further investigation. Both the city and park are investigating the accident. CBS interviewed a man identified as Robert Mahler, whose children were on the next ride over.
Mahler said he heard a big thud and then screaming and panicking. He said he saw the people being thrown off the log ride. The mother, he said, was covered in blood and that the man was grabbing his back. A boy had a big gash on his head, Mahler said. Park officials said the rides are inspected every day and that the log ride was inspected earlier Saturday.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to this family that has apparently suffered severe injuries in this horrific amusement park accident. We wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Amusement Park Accidents
Emergency rooms saw an estimated 30,000 injuries linked to amusement parks in 2016, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The amusement park association conducts an annual safety survey, the most recent of which was published in 2016. Of the parks from which the association collected data, it estimated that in 2015 there were 1,508 ride-related injuries among park attendees who went on rides. That’s an increase of 32 percent since 2014, when there were 1,146 ride-related injuries. No data on fatalities were reported.
In such cases, injured victims can seek compensation for damages including medical expenses, lost income, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, pain and suffering and emotional distress. An experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer who has successfully handled amusement park accident cases will be able to help victims seek and obtain maximum compensation for their losses.
Source: https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2019/05/25/family-hurt-mom-critically-in-log-ride-mishap-at-castle-park/