Some of the most popular amusement parks in the world are located in the Los Angeles area: Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Magic Mountain and Raging Waters. These amusement and theme parks are a place where guests go to have fun, but sadly, instead of fun, some guests may experience tragedy. In an attempt to provide guests with the fastest, most outrageous attractions, some amusement parks forgo safety and ultimately, fail to protect guests from serious injury or death. Causes of Los Angeles Amusement Park Accidents Amusement park negligence can take many forms, such as failing to maintain rides, park grounds, and buildings. Amusement park accidents can also be caused by: Missing safety equipment, such as harnesses, seat belts, and lap bars Insufficient grounds security Ride operator error Defectively designed rides and attractions Malfunctioning safety equipment Missing handrails Dimly lit walkways Contaminated park food Lack of appropriate supervision. Determining Liability for a Los Angeles Amusement Park Accident When an amusement park fails to protect guests from serious injury or death, those injured in a theme park accident may seek justice in the civil court system by filing a personal injury claim. If you or a loved one suffered an injury in an amusement park accident, it is vital you speak to a skilled California amusement park accident lawyer at the law firm [...] Read more »
Displaying all posts for ‘Premises Liability’
Information on slip and fall accidents and premises liability.
Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers: Amusement Park Accidents
Farm Worker Killed Friday Night, Driver Arrested in Bakersfield Collision
SEPTEMBER 6, 2009 – A 20-year-old man was killed when the farm harvester he was operating was struck by a pickup truck driven by a suspected drunk driver, authorities said. Rigoberto Palomares was riding the harvester on Famoso-Porterville Highway near Pond Road when the collision happened, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. The harvester collided with a pickup truck driven by 30-year-old Rogelio Zaragoza, causing both vehicles to overturn, investigators said. Palomares, who was pinned under the harvester, was airlifted to Kern Medical Center, where he died of his injuries, according to the Kern County Coroner. Zaragoza was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, authorities said. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday on charges that include gross vehicular manslaughter, authorities said. The Kern County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the agricultural accident. View Larger Map
Tow Truck Driver Killed Saturday Night in San Bernardino
SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 – A 52-year-old tow truck driver died when a cable snapped, causing a vehicle to come loose and crush him to death, authorities said. Randy Cole of San Bernardino was unloading a vehicle from a flatbed tow truck when the accident occurred about 11:30 p.m. in the 100 block of East Central Avenue, according to San Bernardino police. Cole died at the scene, according to the San Bernardino County Coroner. Along with the state’s division of Occupational Safety and Health, the San Bernardino County Police Department is investigating the tow truck death and why the tow truck’s equipment failed. View Larger Map
Runaway Big Rig Killed Car Passenger on I-5 Sunday in Grapevine
AUGUST 26, 2009 – A tractor-trailer lost its brakes while traveling north on Interstate 5 in Lebec and crashed into a sports-utility vehicle, killing a passenger in the SUV, authorities said. Sumiko Imamura, 67, of Fresno died at the scene of the accident, which occurred about 4 p.m. south of Grapevine Road, according to the Kern County Coroner. The big rig lost its brakes on a downhill section and continued to gain speed, according to the California Highway Patrol. The truck collided with the Mazda SUV in the fast lane, just north of the runaway escape ramp on the west side of the road. The impact caused the SUV to veer onto a dirt embankment and overturn, ejecting Imamura, authorities said. The truck continued northbound and collided with a Ford pickup truck. Debris from the collision also struck a Subaru Impreza. The big rig finally came to rest north of Laval Road, the CHP said. The driver of the big rig was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and booked into Kern County Jail, authorities said. The CHP is continuing to investigate the fatal runaway trailer accident. View Larger Map
Worker Killed Thursday Morning in Construction Accident in San Luis Obispo County
AUGUST 24, 2009 – A 29-year-old man died when a dump truck backed over him at a construction site for the 45-mile Nacimiento Pipeline Project, authorities said. Timothy Nelson of Ojai was working at Camp Roberts when the accident occurred. He had been employed with Teichert Construction since February, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department. Investigators with the federal Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration were trying to determine the cause of the truck accident. The truck’s back-up alarm was functioning at the time of the accident, investigators determined. The driver of the truck did not realize Nelson was behind him and did not know that he was run over, authorities said. This was the third project-related death by Teichert in less than a year. In October, two employees died when a water main ruptured, trapping them in the pipe. The state fined Teichert $140,000 following the October deaths. The federal branch of OSHA is investigating the construction accident because it occurred on a military base. Their findings could take up to six months.
Cook Seriously Burned When Car Crashed into Restaurant Saturday in Thousand Oaks
AUGUST 16, 2009 – A cook was hospitalized with serious burn injuries after a car driven by an elderly woman crashed into a hamburger restaurant where the victim was working, authorities said. The accident occurred about 10 a.m. at the Burger Express on Newbury Road, according to a captain with the Ventura County Fire Department. The woman was driving through the parking lot when she inadvertently stepped on the gas instead of the brake and crashed through the wall of the restaurant’s kitchen, authorities said. The unidentified cook was doused with hot oil from a deep fryer and sustained burns over 60 percent of his body. The victim was transported to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center and later transferred to the Sherman Oaks Burn Center, authorities said. An elderly woman crashed her car into a salon in the same shopping center earlier this year. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the crash and will determine if the driver will be cited.
Man Killed Friday When Van Plunged into Canyon in Castaic
AUGUST 16, 2009 – A 63-year-old man died when his Los Angeles County-owned van crashed 100 feet into a canyon, authorities said. Francisco Ramon Diaz of South Gate was driving west on Lake Hughes Road east of Ridge Route Road about 7 p.m., when he lost control of the Chevy Astro van and went off the road, according to the California Highway Patrol. Diaz, who was not wearing a seat beat, was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene, authorities said. The van was marked “ISD Mail Services,” which stands for Los Angeles County Internal Services Division. The CHP is continuing to investigate the car crash. View Larger Map
San Bernardino Nursing Home Fined After Patient’s Suicide
AUGUST 15, 2009 – A nursing home in the Del Rosa section of San Bernardino was fined $90,000 by state regulators after a patient hung himself three weeks after arriving with orders to be under constant suicide watch, authorities said. The death occurred June 11 at Del Rosa Villa, a skilled nursing facility in the 2000 block of North Del Rosa Avenue that’s licensed to care for as many as 104 patients, according to a spokesman for the California Department of Health. The unidentified 52-year-old patient was transferred from an acute-care center on May 22. He had a fractured leg that occurred when he threw himself in front of a vehicle in a suicide attempt on April 21, according to a nine-page report. His care plan included the instructions, “Suicide watch at all times,’‘ written in red ink, according to the report. A licensed vocational nurse told state investigators that she did not see the instructions. The man killed himself by rolling his wheelchair through a laundry room and into a parking lot, where he was found hanging from a perimeter fence, the report said.
Boy Died in Accidental Shooting Thursday at Friend’s Home in Carson
AUGUST 15, 2009 – A 13-year-old boy was killed at a friend’s home while they played with a handgun taken from a locked gun cabinet, authorities said. The boys were reportedly playing video games about 2:40 p.m. while home alone in the 21400 block of Orrick Avenue, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies. The boys gained access to the cabinet and began handling the gun in a playful manner when it accidently discharged, killing Cristian Madrigal of Carson at the scene, authorities said. Investigators were trying to determine which boy pulled the trigger. Madrigal was a student at Stephen White Middle School. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the accidental shooting.
Five Injured When Van Rolled Over Thursday Morning in Bakersfield
AUGUST 13, 2009 – A van overturned when the driver tried to avoid a fallen tree, injuring five of the six occupants, authorities said. Israel Fuentes, 55 of Lamont was driving a 1995 Nissan Quest on South Union Avenue about 5:20 a.m. when he spotted a tree that had fallen into the roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol. He swerved to avoid the tree, but lost control and the van rolled over just south of Bear Mountain Boulevard, authorities said. A passenger in the van, identified as 30-year-old Saul Savala of Lamont, suffered major injuries. Fuentes and 24-year-old Ronal Fuentes of Bakersfield sustained moderate injuries, and Hector Velasquez, 33, and Robinson Fuentes, 21, both of Lamont, suffered minor injuries. The five passengers wore seat belts, but it’s unclear if the driver was fastened. The CHP is continuing to investigate the vehicle rollover. View Larger Map