Amusement Park Patron Suffers Permanent Head Injury on Unsafe Ride

Case Overview

This case involves a young child who suffered serious injuries while riding on a ride at a small amusement park in New Mexico. The ride’s seats came with shoulder harnesses, however it was apparently common for amusement park staff to allow children to keep the shoulder belts behind them. During the ride, the child was partially ejected from the front seat of the ride, and suffered a very significant head injury upon impact with the ground. The plaintiff alleged the the ride was inherently flawed in its design due to inadequate restraint measures.

Questions to the Mechanical Engineering expert and their responses

Can you discuss your experience with restraint systems on amusement park rides?

I have extensive experience with automotive vehicle accident reconstruction, the principles of which are directly applicable to roller coaster rides. One must analyze the G-forces involved, the safety restraints in place, and the actual mechanical system used in the design of the ride.

How do you ensure the safety of the riders?

There are also concerns around how staff was employing the restraints, which may have compromised their ability to maintain rider safety if used incorrectly.

About the expert

This expert has been practicing engineering for over 25 years. He received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame prior to earning his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University. During graduate school, he gained both education and experience in biomechanical engineering as a research assistant in an orthopedic biomaterials laboratory. He then gained further experience in biomechanics as a Research Engineer with the Transportation Research Center, managing and conducting automotive safety projects and developing test equipment and procedures. Currently, this expert is a Senior Project Engineer with a major forensic engineering firm, specializing in accident reconstruction and investigation, human kinematics and injury causation, and restraints and mechanical failure analysis. A registered professional engineer in multiple states, he has authored and/or presented over 25 peer-reviewed publications and holds membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Honorary Mechanical Engineering Fraternity, and the Society of Automotive Engineers.

E-007753

Specialties:

Mechanical Engineering