Miami Resort Injury Lawyer Blog

The Terminal Velocity ride in Extreme World amusement park in Wisconsin is meant to provide thrills and not a near death experience. Riders put on a safety harness and enter into a metal cage. Thereafter, the cage is lifted about 140 feet into the air. Simultaneously, a safety net is supposed to rise into place below the cage to catch the rider as they free fall towards the ground. An operator in the cage joins the rider. He is required to look down at his colleague on the ground who is supposed to give a hand signal that the net is properly in place. Once he receives the hand signal, the operator releases the trapdoor sending the rider to the net below.

Unfortunately, a twelve-year old South Florida resident was released from the cage without the net being in its proper position. The young minor fell 110 feet straight to the ground. According to the operator of Terminal Velocity, he experienced a mental lapse and released the trap door before he was given the appropriate hand signal that the safety net was in place.

This type of negligence happens way too frequently at amusement parks in South Florida, and across the country. Often times the amusement parks are not regulated or licensed which leads to increased risk of injury. Fortunately, our firm has experience in representing victims of amusement park negligence.

After 80 days of treatment in hospitals, including the University of Miami's Project to Cure Paralysis, the South Florida resident is headed home. Although she survived the 100 foot free fall, she is going home with serious injuries. She was able to survive the fall even though she sustained immense loss of blood to the head, chipped teeth, a crushed pelvis, and ten fractures in her spine. Now, doctors are uncertain whether or not she will ever be able to live an independent life where she will be able to speak, walk, and feed herself.