What happens when what was supposed to be one of the most exciting experiences of your life takes a rapid turn for the worse? If you were riding on a zip line, then your sudden accident might prove devastating.
Ziplining accidents are more frequent than many people assume and their consequences are no joke when the victim is paralyzed or dies in wrongful death.
Making a proper recovery takes time, money, and legal understanding. Not all victims have needed resources at their disposal to heal completely while out of work or permanently disabled.
Fortunately, talking to a compassionate zipline injury lawyer at the law firm of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC about your injury case today could hold the clues to your healing journey.
Ziplining: An Extreme Sport
Riding on a zip line produces an instant adrenaline rush like no other activity up in tree canopies. Many sports Enthusiasts love the exhilaration of jumping off the cliff’s edge and racing over the mountain or treetops at extreme speeds.
Some zip lines are constructed in the jungles, over volcanoes, and other unusual locations, making it one of the nation’s most extreme sports from Alaska to Florida.
People Do Die on a Zipline
Statistics from the American Journal of Emergency Medicine reveal that in 2015, at least six individuals lost their lives from zip-lining, and 17,000 injuries required treatment.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission published a study showing that there are currently over two hundred commercial ziplines in the United States.
Zip Lining Is Dangerous to Your Health
Ohio State University Researchers revealed statistics showing that about twelve percent of all injuries caused by a zipline resulted in severe injuries, including broken bones and fractures. Many of these injuries required hospitalization and ongoing treatment.
The researchers concluded that ziplining is as dangerous as rock climbing, injuring and killing thousands of people every year.
Ziplines Break
The materials used to construct a zipline make ziplining an extremely safe activity. The line is designed to carry a maximum load capacity that surpasses any excessive amount of weight the wire would ever carry.
Zip liners also wear a protective harness attached to a safety cable before stepping off the platform to cross over the zip line.
Ziplines Go Fast
A published article from Trip Advisor [1] posted the top speed of a Zipline at about 37 to 49 mph (60 to 80 km/h). However, ziplines are designed with a speed brake so that passengers can slow their speed down or stop anywhere along the route.
Stopping on a Zipline to avoid injury is not always easy. Many zip lines in the United States are constructed with excessive wire to add slack to the line. The additional line sag and the effects of gravity as the passenger travels can slow the ride down before reaching the other side.
Zip liners often use gloves to press down on the cable to slow down or come to a complete stop.
The Realities of Ziplining Accidents
Ziplining is inherently risky, but not just because it typically takes place high above the ground. Although most people are rightfully wary of falling from zip lines, riders also risk other severe mishaps.
For instance, in July 2019, a model broke her pelvis and ended up wheelchair-bound [2] after running into a tree when a billionaire investor’s private zipline failed to brake properly. As ziplining grows in popularity and more people create their own DIY or consumer versions, the dangers of riding faulty or improperly operated equipment also increase.
Ziplining accidents can also cause severe personal injury that is notoriously challenging to spot. After a mother suffered a hard landing [3] on a zip line ride during a trip to the Dominican Republic, she experienced persistent back pain.
The victim sought medical care upon returning to her home in Puerto Rico, but she could not afford a recommended MRI due to her lack of insurance and later died. Although this case may have involved other medical factors as well, it’s yet one more example of sightseers dying following ziplining excursions.
A now-deceased Canadian [4] plunged to his death in Thailand in a zip line accident. Some zip line companies have track records of previous serious injuries and fatalities of tourists caused by operator negligence.
Often, the Zipline company’s negligence resulted from a lack of safety equipment and following safety standards. Common zipline injuries harming tourists and visitors at commercial zipline amusement parks in the United States and outside the country include:
- Brain injury
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Head injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Sprains
- Crushing injury
- Traumatic brain injuries
Riders aren’t the only ones at risk of personal injury from lax practices that cause serious injuries. In May 2019, a 29-year-old zip line operator in Maui fell about 150 feet to her death after being knocked off [5] the platform by an incoming rider.
State lawmakers responded by introducing stricter safety rules for workers by mandating that employees wear tethers when aloft. However, the message is clear for anyone who risks their life around these dangerous attractions: Ziplines companies have a long way to go before proving zip lines are safe while taking precautions to prevent a Zipline accident.
Understanding the Aftermath of a Ziplining Accident
Ziplining proponents might be quick to point out that the vast majority of people never get hurt. However, such statistics offer little comfort to those who end up with debilitating wounds and the surviving families of victims.
It’s hard to anticipate what kinds of recreational activity injuries someone might sustain in a zipline accident. However, looking at the facts paints a clearer picture of the potential for harm.
According to firms [6] that sell zip lines and other high-altitude amusement gear, operators commonly make several mistakes without even realizing the error of their ways, such as:
- Failing to use emergency stoppage devices,
- Relying on Zipline staff members to manually engage braking systems,
- Neglecting to conduct inspections of Zipline equipment between uses,
- An improperly mitigating sag in long zip lines, and
- The improper installation of impact Zipline brakes or systems that mitigate potential injuries by keeping riders oriented facing forward.
These seemingly minor mistakes have vast ramifications, with participants traveling at speeds that may exceed twenty-five miles per hour. Depending on which errors your operator committed, the harm you or someone else suffers might look completely different from what happened to another victim who rode the same device.
In other words, no solution is guaranteed to work for everyone. It’s vital to find legal representatives that can get to the heart of your case and dig up the details you need to fight for justice.
A personal injury lawyer working on your injury case will work directly with Zipline’s insurance company to ensure compensation to pay for medical bills, lost time away from work, pain, and suffering.
Common Ziplining Injuries
Often, the Zipline company’s negligence resulted from a lack of safety equipment and following safety standards. Common zipline injuries harming tourists and visitors at commercial zipline amusement parks in the United States and outside the country include:
- Brain injury
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Head injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Sprains
- Crushing injury
- Traumatic brain injuries
Riders aren’t the only ones at risk from lax practices that cause serious injuries. In May 2019, a 29-year-old zip line operator in Maui fell about 150 feet to her death after being knocked off [7] the platform by an incoming rider.
State lawmakers responded by introducing stricter safety rules for workers by mandating that employees wear tethers when aloft. However, the message is clear for anyone who risks their life around these dangerous attractions: Ziplines companies have a long way to go before proving zip lines are safe.
Understanding the Aftermath of a Ziplining Accident
Ziplining proponents might be quick to point out that the vast majority of people never get hurt. Such statistics offer little comfort, however, to those who end up with debilitating wounds and the surviving families of victims.
It’s hard to anticipate what kinds of recreational activity injuries someone might sustain in a zip line accident. However, looking at the facts paints a clearer picture of the potential for harm.
According to firms that sell zip lines [8] and other high-altitude amusement gear, operators commonly make several mistakes without even realizing the error of their ways, such as
- Failing to use emergency stoppage devices,
- Relying on staff members to manually engage braking systems,
- Neglecting to conduct inspections of equipment between uses,
- An improperly mitigating sag in long zip lines, and
- The improper installation of impact brakes or systems that mitigate injury potential by keeping riders oriented facing forward.
With participants traveling at speeds that may exceed twenty-five miles per hour, these seemingly minor mistakes have vast ramifications. Depending on which errors your operator committed, the harm you or someone else suffers might look completely different from what happened to another victim who rode the same device.
In other words, no solution is guaranteed to work for everyone. It’s vital to find legal representatives that can get to the heart of your case and dig up the details you need to fight for justice. A personal injury lawyer working on your injury case will work directly with Zipline’s insurance company to ensure compensation to pay for medical bills, lost time away from work, pain, and suffering.
The Legal Hurdles Commonly Associated With Ziplining Injury Claims & Lawsuits
Accidents that occur during tourism and adventure activities also pose unique legal challenges. People love zip lines because they offer chances to explore diverse landscapes and destinations at breathtaking speeds.
However, most professionally operated versions tend to share one particularly troubling characteristic — their use of waivers.
Waivers let companies reduce their exposure to legal liability risks. These forms accomplish this by placing some of the onus for responsible behavior, such as not riding while overly intoxicated or disobeying staff instructions, on the consenting rider.
The problem is that they don’t effectively reduce the harms caused by operator negligence, faulty equipment, or improper action. For instance, even though a waiver might ask you to confirm that you don’t suffer from any of the numerous health hazards [9] that should stop you from riding, it’s not as if there’s a medical doctor onsite at every attraction to give you a once-over first.
Instead, you have to take it on faith that the waiver properly explains the risks. This misconception may imbue you with a false sense of security as you consider what amounts to a massive gamble.
Waivers and private ownership can also confuse legal perspectives. Does signing a consent form mean that you give up your right to sue a bad operator after a zipline accident or place you at the mercy of an unfair arbitration clause?
When you go for a spin on your neighbor’s backyard line and fall, should you sue them in court or file a lawsuit against the product manufacturer?
The answers aren’t always clear, but getting informed is integral to getting better when you’re facing life-threatening injuries.
Contrary to what ride operators or private property owners might have you believe, living with the sad aftermath of a zipline accident isn’t your only recourse.
From thoroughly examining business track records to exploring premises liability laws and alternate legal avenues for filing lawsuits, Zipline accident attorneys might be able to uncover options that power your healthier recovery.
Ziplining Accident Fatality FAQs
Our personal injury lawyers understand that many families have unanswered questions about holding entertainment companies legally responsible for causing harm.
Call us today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) to schedule a free consultation to discuss receiving financial compensation. We are here to help.
Hiring a Zipline Injury Lawyer: Protecting Your Rights in a Zipline Accident Lawsuit
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC has experience representing individuals and families in catastrophic accidents. If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a Zipline accident, we invite you to contact our law firm today for a free review of your legal rights and options for pursuing a financial injury claim.
Contact us today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation to discuss an injury claim. All discussions with our personal injury attorneys remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send sensitive information to our law office through voicemail, email, text message, or through our law firm’s website.
While working on your injury case, our personal injury law firm follows social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus).
Our injury lawyers currently represent clients in various practice areas including vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, harmful medications, premises liability, slip & fall accidents, hazardous chemical exposure injuries, and wrongful death.
Resources: [1] Trip Advisor, [2] Markets Business Insider, [3] DailyMail.co.uk, [4] BangkokPost, [5] HawaiiNewsNow, [6] skywab.com, [7] HawaiiNewsNow, [8] skywab.com, [9] LiabilityWaiver