Massachusetts Personal Injury Library

Statistics and Regulation of Amusement Park Accidents (Part A)

Has your child been injured in an amusement park accident in Massachusetts?

You should consult with an experienced Boston child injury lawyer who understands amusement park accident cases and how to recover the rightful compensation for your child’s injuries. To find out if you have a case and what the potential compensation for your child’s injuries may be, contact attorney Thomas Kiley for a FREE evaluation of your case.

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Statistics on Amusement Park Injuries and Theme-Park Fatalities

Each year, about 300 million people visit theme parks, according to Beth Robertson, the spokeswoman for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that there were 25,000 injuries on mobile amusement park rides in the period from 1997 to 2004. Mobile amusement park rides are used by traveling circuses and temporary fairs.

These statistics don’t include adult or child injuries on fixed rides, like those at major theme-parks including Disneyland or Universal Studios. Between 1987 and 2004, the CPSC recorded 46 amusement park fatalities on fixed theme-park rides. It is unknown how many of the amusement park injuries or fatalities involved children.

Who Regulates Amusement Parks?

According to SaferParks.org, amusement parks are not regulated by the federal government and there are no nationwide safety standards to prevent child amusement park injuries.

In most cases, fixed amusement parks submit to a number of voluntary regulations created by state or local governments, and the CPSC regulates traveling theme-parks. Since there are no federal laws governing amusement rides, there may be inconsistent safety regulations from state to state.

Continue to Statistics and Regulation of Amusement Park Accidents (Part B) >>