Amusement Park Accident Sparks Lawsuit in Pennsylvania

Ligonier, PATwo patrons were injured recently while riding the new Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction at Universal Orlando, according to information provided to the State of Florida by Universal. The Orlando Sentinel on May 23 reported that a 60-year-old man briefly lost consciousness, whereas a 57-year-old man experienced chest pains after participating in the ride. The injuries stemming from Theme Park Accidents were described in the newspaper report as "significant."

The ride was installed at Universal Orlando amidst much fanfare last year, with most of the primary cast members from the iconic film series in attendance for the opening.

When an Amusement Park Accident occurs, it is normally regulated at the state level. However, in the case of the major theme parks in the Sunshine state, ride-safety regulations as they normally exist for smaller theme parks are for the most part circumvented by the larger facilities such as Universal and Disney World in exchange for the practice of filling voluntary injury reports each quarter.

Speaking of Disney World, the massive theme park reported three theme park injuries at its facility between January 1 and March 31 of this year. The Sentinel reports that a 29-year-old patron suffered an anaphylactic reaction while riding Splash Mountain, a 75-year-old woman broke her knee on the load platform for Peter Pan's Flight and an 8-year-old boy was injured after falling in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure. The extent and nature of the boy's injuries were not reported.

Meanwhile, a woman who claims to have suffered injuries to her back and neck has launched a lawsuit against the owners of an amusement park in Ligonier Township, Pennsylvania, for damages.

The Tribune-Review of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, reported May 24 that Darlene Bizich claims to have suffered injuries June 29, 2009, in a roller coaster accident at the Idlewild Amusement Park and SoakZone. The plaintiff alleges she was onboard the Wild Mouse Ride, a rollercoaster, when she was thrown forward.

Her alleged theme park injuries included the aggravation of a pre-existing degenerative and arthritic condition in her spine, ultimately requiring cervical fusion surgery.

The lawsuit claims that an inspection of the car in which Bizich was riding was found to be missing four support screws. "Plaintiff's injuries were caused by the defendant's failure to properly inspect and maintain the Wild Mouse cars and seats," according to the amusement park injury lawsuit.