Lawsuit Filed in Iraq War Veteran Amusement Park Accident

Darien Lake, NYThe family of an Iraq War veteran who died in a horrific theme park accident has decided to file a wrongful death lawsuit against two companies responsible for the amusement park. Meanwhile, two men have been charged following a different amusement park accident that took the life of a young boy. The amusement park deaths highlight that although amusement parks are fun places to visit, there are risks associated with them.

The family of James T. Hackemer, who died after he was thrown from a 200-foot-high roller coaster, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging park employees violated the amusement park's safety rules by allowing Hackemer to ride the roller coaster. Hackemer lost both his legs while serving in Iraq. According to the lawsuit, employees were not properly trained on safety procedures for the roller coaster.

Buffalo News (07/30/11) reports that the Labor Department cited the amusement park for failing to properly train ride operators. Both the theme parks property owners and the management company have been named in the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the owner of a theme park has been charged following the death of a three-year-old boy on a roller coaster. The young boy was riding the Python Pit roller coaster when he fell out of the car and died of a head injury in April 2011. The owner of Go Bananas, the theme park the young boy was at, and the manager of the theme park are charged with violating the Carnival Rides and Amusement Safety Act for keeping improper safety records.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times (07/22/11), the Python Pit was deemed safe but there were discrepancies in the record keeping at the park. The park faces lawsuits filed both by the victim's family and by a woman who was on the scene at the time of the accident and reportedly tried to help the victim.

And a young girl who almost died when she was sent from the top of a ride called Terminal Velocity before safety nets were in place has spoken out. Teagan Marti suffered fractures to her spine and pelvis, and speaks through a trachea device. Although she survived her ordeal, she still faces upcoming surgery, WSAW (08/05/11) reports.