As the nation has observed in a number of recent cases, amusement park ride passengers are often at risk of injury or fatality. In some of these cases, a ride may not have been properly maintained or checked for safe operation. Operators could be negligent when strapping in passengers or setting rides into motion. In another tragic amusement ride accident, a North Carolina worker was critically injured after a ride fell and crushed him while he was on the job.
Workers who are responsible for handling heavy machinery are often at a greater risk of injury. In this case, reports indicated that the worker was responsible for dissembling the ride when part of it fell on him. Our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys are experienced in helping workers recover just compensation after an injury. We take a strategic approach to ensure that work-injury victims and their loved ones collect the benefits they are entitled to.
Workers at the state fair were dismantling one of the Vortex rides when the seating section fell, trapping and pinning one of the workers. Witnesses said that his abdomen and lower body were crushed and pinned under the ride. After the accident, he was taken immediately to the hospital for treatment and was listed in intensive care. It is still unknown whether the worker will survive.
According to reports, some witnesses heard screaming and ran to help the man who was clearly injured. The Vortex was a popular ride that had been a part of the fair for several years. It was the same model that started into motion while riders were exiting, dropping some of them from heights up to 30 feet the previous week. These riders suffered serious injuries and several are still in the hospital. The ride operator was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon after investigators learned that the ride had been tampered with.
If the worker survives, he will be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation is available to any worker injured on the job, regardless of whether they were negligent or responsible for the injuries. It is not necessary to prove fault, only that the worker was injured while in the course of performing work-related duties. This worker may be unable to return to work. He could also suffer permanent injuries, including paralysis. If he does not survive the accident, his family may be entitled to workers’ compensation death benefits.
In addition to workers’ compensation benefits, injured workers and their loved ones may also be able to bring third-party claims against additional individuals and entities. In this case the fair was operated by an international amusement ride operator. Though a spokesperson for the company indicated that they had a pristine equipment safety record, they are under investigation for the string of accidents this month.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were not actions taken against the company since its founding in 1996. State regulators also indicated that the ride was inspected; however, tampering is still suspected in this case.
If you or a loved one has been injured on the job in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your workers’ compensation claim– (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Keeping Your Employees Safe in an Emergency, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Blog, October 19, 2013 “Drive Safely Work Week” To Keep Driving Workers Alive, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Blog, October 15, 2013