Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando are fun and exciting places for the family. Unfortunately, these theme parks present hidden dangers to unsuspecting visitors. As Orlando injury lawyers we have helped many innocent visitors injured at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando.

For many families, the trip to Orlando to enjoy a magical experience has been a huge sacrifice of time and money. Individuals and families eagerly anticipate their visit to one of Disney’s theme parks: The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Some families take advantage of Walt Disney World’s water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. At Universal Studios Orlando, the Islands of Adventure, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the giant roller coasters are favorite attractions for Orlando guests.

As a result of the large crowds, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando should hire and maintain sufficient workers to reasonably ensure the theme parks remain safe and secure. Sadly, with efforts to increase profits, corporations have a tendency to lay-off workers and may not provide sufficient coverage for its guests. In addition, visitors to theme parks are often distracted. Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando are famous for awesome creations, parades and fireworks display. These displays and attractions are meant to captivate their audiences. Therefore, it is important for pedestrian areas and walkways to take this into consideration. Too many times we have seen injury and accidents due to theme park distractions and crowds.

Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando will always be great places to visit. However, these theme parks should realize that their guests assume that everything has been done to make their visit a safe one. If you have been injured at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, Sea World Orlando or any other theme park, you deserve the best and most qualified lawyers in Florida. Sadly, too many lawyers may be totally unprepared to handle your injury case. By calling now or completing the quick, Get Help Now form, you will receive the personal attention of a Lawyer who is also a Medical Doctor, a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, and a Critical Care Nurse Case Manager. By completing the Get Help Now form, we will also send you an immediate email that includes excerpts from the book, Seeking Justice, on why most other lawyers may be unprepared for a case like yours.

Orlando Amusement Accidents and Theme Park Injury Rise

As the home to the world's most popular attractions, including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World, Orlando amusement park accidents and theme park injury continue at unacceptable levels. Millions of people of all ages visit Orlando and Central Florida amusement and theme parks and these busy places for entertainment should work to reduce and prevent needless injury and death.

Mechanical problems with rides and a failure to keep their property free from dangerous conditions continue to harm innocent visitors and guests. Theme Park accidents can involve uneven sidewalks, slippery substances on the floor, failure to provide adequate lights or signs. Newsworthy injuries regarding theme parks include: a man from Florida dying after riding Busch Gardens Tampa roller coaster; a little boy from Georgia bitten on the arm by a dolphin at Sea World Orlando; a boy from Kentucky dying after riding Walt Disney World's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster; a woman from Germany dying after riding Walt Disney World's Mission: Space; injury at Space Mountain at Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom; and, injury at the wave pool at Typhoon lagoon.

The Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that the number of serious injuries on amusement park and theme park rides requiring emergency medical care have increased to nearly 5,000 each year. Unfortunately, the CPSC cannot obtain complete information because of the limitations of the Consumer Product Safety Act. There is a "roller coaster loophole." This limitation prohibits the CPSC from regulating the safety of rides that are fixed to a specific site. While mobile rides, such as those in local carnivals and other traveling attractions can be regulated and monitored, the giant amusement and theme parks fall outside the jurisdiction of the CPSC.

As a result, regulation and inspection of "fixed site" amusement rides are left up to the state or local municipality. As you can imagine, this oversight varies and usually provides less protection than consumers deserve. A majority of states and municipalities provide only limited regulation and oversight. While California, Florida and Ohio do attempt some oversight of their many amusement parks, visitors have little information on the number of guests who have been seriously injured on rides at theme parks such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida and Sea World Orlando.

The influence of Florida's largest amusement parks and theme parks may be the reason they are exempt from regulations that require mandatory reporting of injuries and permit inspection of theme park rides. However, we are committed to protecting the safety of Florida's families and those who visit Orlando theme parks. CPSC has stated that several factors are at fault in the amusement park accidents and injury: consumer behavior, operator behavior, mechanical failure and design defects. You should never take your safety or the safety of your children for granted in these theme parks.

What to do After a Theme Park Accident

In these cases, documentation of the condition that caused the injury is critical. While injury on a ride may be difficult to document, other dangerous conditions such as broken devices or foreign substances or defects in roads and sidewalks can be photographed. Fortunately, most visitors to Orlando area theme parks have cameras with them. Therefore, if at all possible, you should photograph the scene of the accident and anything that you believe may have caused or contributed to your injury. You should also obtain the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses; and, if you fill out any form, obtain a copy for your records.

While you should report the accident and injury, do NOT provide any recorded statement. What should you do if a Claims Representative calls you when you return home or sends you a blank medical authorization for you to sign? We find that claims representatives may (1) try to speak with you when you do not fully understand the important legal issues involved; and, (2) try to obtain blank medical authorizations which permit them to obtain the most private information about many medical issues which have NOTHING to do with your injury.

Sadly, we find that many injured guests call us after weeks or months go by without any payment of any kind. Most of these clients are out-of-state or living abroad. Without an Orlando trial specialist who has handled these claims, who can file a lawsuit, if necessary, on your behalf in Orange County, Florida, what incentive does Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Orlando have to treat you fairly?

If you or your family needs assistance as a result of an accident or injury at an Orlando amusement or theme park, we would like to help. As one of the few Florida law firms with both a Medical Doctor-Lawyer and a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, we invite you to call us now to discuss your case. If you prefer, just fill out the Get Help Now form and we will also send you an immediate email that includes excerpts from the book, Seeking Justice, on why most other lawyers may be unprepared for a case like yours.