On Wednesday, July 28, 2021, some attendees at a carnival on the Halifax waterfront received an experience they were not anticipating when they boarded a ride. The carnival, run by East Coast Amusements, had just opened on the Halifax waterfront and many carnival attendees were eager to have some long-awaited fun on a beautiful sunny afternoon. What they did not anticipate when they boarded the Star Trooper was that they would leave the ride with injuries.
The Star Trooper, a ride that spins its passengers around in a circle at a fairly high rate of speed, had been placed too close to the trees by organizers of the carnival. Upon its first spin, the passengers on the Star Trooper made contact with the trees multiple times, sustaining injuries such as whiplash, bruises, and cuts.
Halifax Regional Police were called to the scene, and the ride was shut down for the rest of the day. An HRM Police spokesman said an investigation into the matter had been turned over to the Nova Scotia Department of Labour. The General Manager of East Coast Amusements, Nathan Smithers, said there was an “operator error,” and the ride has now been moved away from the trees, so this type of incident doesn’t happen again.
Legal Help for Carnival Ride Accidents
Carnival ride accidents can result in costly medical expenses and other impacts for which the victim deserves to be compensated. At Wagners, we help victims of such fatal accidents to prove the negligence of one or more parties or a defect in the ride.
Proving negligence: If you or a family member were involved in a carnival ride accident that resulted in injuries or damage, our lawyers can help file a claim against one or more negligent parties. For instance, if the park employee was careless in operating the ride, as is the case above, they could be held liable for damages. Common examples of negligence include failure to operate the ride properly, poor training of the operators or failure to place warning signs to inform guests of the risks of the ride.
Proving defective part of a ride: There are also cases where carnival ride accidents occur as a result of a defective part of a ride. If the ride or a part of it was produced with a defect or design flaw, we can help file a product liability claim against the manufacturer.