It is often an exciting time when the carnival comes to town! Instead of traveling to an Iowa amusement park, you can enjoy rides at a fair, festival, or event close to home. These temporary traveling carnivals are set up relatively quickly and then taken down again to go to the next location. Accidents and injuries are possible, and it is important to know what to do to protect your rights if you’re hurt.
Are Carnival Rides Safe?
Mobile amusement parks are not subject to federal regulation. However, Iowa state regulations require that carnival operators have permits and that equipment be inspected each calendar year. Any death or injury that requires treatment beyond first aid should be reported to the state. Local laws or ordinances may also regulate carnival rides.
Despite these requirements, carnival ride accidents may still result in injuries. Some of the reasons for these injuries may include:
- Aging equipment.
- A workforce of temporary workers that do not have the necessary knowledge or experience to set up, use, or take down equipment safely.
- A workforce that has to work long hours and that may be fatigued when setting up, operating, or dismantling carnival equipment.
- Tight time constraints for setting up and taking down rides and carnival equipment.
Currently, the International Association for Amusement Parks and Attractions only collects information about injuries and deaths from permanent amusement parks. Carnivals and mobile amusement rides are not included. However, news reports indicate that injuries do occur. Those injuries may include, but are not limited to:
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Death
While we don’t know exactly how many people are hurt on carnival rides each year, we do know what you should do if you, or your child, is injured on an Iowa carnival ride.
Call an Iowa Personal Injury Lawyer After a Carnival Ride Accident
What started as a fun trip to the carnival can end with your life forever changed by a significant injury or the death of a loved one. This is an injury or death that may have occurred because the carnival owner or operator was negligent—it is an injury or death that should not have happened.
Our experienced personal injury lawyers will investigate the accident and hold the responsible parties accountable so that you can recover damages for your past and future medical expenses, lost income, out-of-pocket costs, physical pain, and emotional suffering. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about your rights.