Amusement park deaths can involve speed

Roller coasters are constantly getting higher and faster with tighter turns. And, seemingly, the number of injuries is going up. Is there a connection between higher speeds and higher risks?

One theory is that g-force, the measurement of gravity on the body, may be the cause of some recent deaths. Normal g-force is 1 (the amount of gravity affecting you right now). Astronauts on the Space Shuttle can expect to experience 3 g’s (or three times the force of normal gravity) during launch, while fighter pilots experience up to 8 or 9 g’s and even negative g’s. Racecar drivers who have accidents can experience up to 100 g’s of force on their bodies for a split second.

And that’s the big difference: time. Studies indicate that the body does not seem to register the effects of any g-force if it occurs for 0.2 seconds or less. But high g-forces for an extended amount of time can lead to blackouts, internal injuries, and death. High negative-g’s can lead to rupture of blood vessels in the brain, stroke, and death. Negative g’s are more dangerous than positive g’s; for example a parachute that opens hard can register 12 g’s, which causes blackout and possible internal injury. Negative g’s of just –6 can cause the brain to tear and bleed.

Most amusement park rides don’t come anywhere close to the thresholds of the health human body both in terms of number of g’s and duration. In fact, there is little or no scientific evidence that a roller coaster or similar ride has ever caused the death of a rider due to g-forces. A woman who died on the Goliath roller coaster in June 2001 was found to have a pre-existing brain aneurysm that burst during the ride. This could have been a result of the g-forces, a result of the “fear” of the coaster, or just a coincidence – aneurysms can burst even while you are sleeping. There was no way to tell what caused hers to burst while on the ride.

In fact, many medical experts believe that the “fear” or excitement is much more likely to cause brain injuries or heart attacks than g-force. They underline – as do the ride owners – that those with any pre-existing heart conditions, pregnant women, and those on certain medications should not ride due to the risk of either g-force or excitement-induced medical problems.

However, the vast majority of accidents don’t happen during normal operation, they occur due to mechanical failure or human error. Just three days before it was to go to trial, Disney settled a suit brought by the family of a 22-year old man killed on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride. In this case, a combination of mechanical failure and human error led to the man’s death – and which Disney took full responsibility for. There are countless other incidents resulting in injury that happen every year around the country.

If you or a loved one has been injured at an amusement park, contact an amusement park lawyer at the law offices of Jim S. Adler & Associates. We have decades of experience getting the compensation our clients deserve for accidents caused by other people’s negligence. Don’t settle for less. Contact Jim S. Adler & Associates for a free case assessment right now.