Water Slide Accident Lawyers

Water slides are popular attractions at most water parks. And the many different types of slide provide a variety of thrills to their riders. Types of water slides include:

• Extreme or speed slides these tend to be straight, with a near-vertical drop in the middle to induce a high rate of speed. Some can propel people up to an average of 55 miles per hour!
• Body slides these tend to follow a less steep and curvy path. They may be in the form of an open chute, closed tube, or they may alternate between the two. Most riders lie flat on their backs and cross their arms over their chest.
• Tube or raft slides these are typically family slides designed to be ridden on a raft or a tube.
• Uphill slides - can shoot riders up and down with water or a conveyor belt.

But while these rides can be thrilling and provide relief from the summer heat, accidents can, and do, happen. These are but a few of recent headlines that highlight the potential dangers associated with water park waterslide accidents.

• June 16, 2008: 19-year-old girl dies after complaining that she hit her head while on a water slide at Sun Splash water park in Mesa, Arizona.
• June 8, 2007: a section of the Master Blaster water slide at Big Splash water park in Tulsa, Oklahoma gives way with an 11-year-old girl on it. Fortunately, the six-foot fiberglass section landed on some netting and the girl was not seriously injured.
• September 2, 2005: a 14-year-old girl drowns in a ten-foot-deep pool at the end of the Shot Gun Falls water slide at Gillian's Wonderland Pier and Island Water Park in Ocean City, New Jersey. The end of the slide is six feet above the surface of the pool.

Tragically, many water slide accidents could have been avoided. But as the growth and competition within the water park industry has grown, so has the rush to offer a variety of more thrilling experiences. The ever-changing characteristics of the new rides, however, have prevented standards and regulations to maintain pace. And in a few unfortunate instances, the operators may be careless or even downright irresponsible.

If you or a loved one has been injured on a water slide, the water parks operators, proprietors, or insurers negligence may have been at least partly responsible for the accident. As such, you may be entitled to compensation. You may be well advised to consult with a qualified personal injury attorney with experience in water park accident cases.

See also:
Wave pool accidents