With summertime parties and carnival season in high gear, a recent article in USA Today raises an important question. How safe are carnival rides and backyard rental items such as inflatable bounce houses? The answer it turns out, depends on what state you live in. However, even in the states with the most oversight – such as California – accidents occur and injuries happen.

In these instances, it is critical to contact an experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer to determine your next steps. As the article explains, when accidents occur, they may be a result of a variety of factors, such as a safety failure by the manufacturer, errors in installation and failure to properly supervise their use.

Reports indicate that at least 50 children have been injured so far this year in amusement park rides. Last year, 2 children died in carnival accidents. Demonstrating just how dangerous inflatable rides can be, this past June a video captured a strong wind up-ending three inflatable rides, sending them into a crowd and injuring 13 people.

Potential injuries from amusement park rides and backyard inflatables include head and neck injuries, traumatic brain injuries, back injuries, broken bones and cuts and bruises. In the worst cases, dangerous rides have even resulted inwrongful deaths.

Under California law, where an accident occurs on a person’s home or property, or at a place of business such as an amusement park, the injured party may bring apremises liability lawsuit. A premises liability lawsuit occurs where an owner or operator of the premises fails to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition or fails to adequately warn of dangerous conditions which the owner or operator knows about, or should have known about. In some situations it may also be possible to bring a product liability lawsuit where an accident occurs as the result of a design defect or manufacturing defect. An experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer familar with premises liability lawsuits and product liability cases would be able to evaluate the circumstances and determine the type of claims available to you.

Although the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates how amusement park rides are manufactured, it’s up to the states to determine how they are set up, operated or maintained. Fortunately, California has a fairly extensive government inspection and accident investigation program. However, 11 states have minimal oversight and 6 states have no regulations at all.

Organizations such as RideAccidents.com are devoted to tracking amusement park and backyard inflatable accidents and promote increased safety and oversight. Many states across the country are reviewing ways to improve safety, such as requiring ride inspectors to be nationally certified and to do a better job of enforcing safety rules.

In the meantime, if you or a child has been injured while on an amusement park ride or in a backyard bounce house, it is important to be protected and ensure that you are compensated for your injuries. Many different avenues of recovery exist. A knowledgeable Sacramento injury attorney can advise you of your rights and ensure you obtain the best results in your matter.

For more information please contact the skilled Sacramento personal injury lawyer at Sette Law Office, dedicated to obtaining compensation for those injured due to the negligence and recklessness of others.