The parents of three children who were thrown out of a ride and injured at the Florida Citrus Festival three years ago have sued the ride’s operators. Young siblings Natashia Odom, Kenson Joseph and Nyeshia Odom were on a ride called the Cliff Hanger at the Winter Haven Carnival when the accident occurred in January 2004. The parents of the children, Moniquie and Wilner Joseph, sued W.G. Wade Shows, Inc. seeking damages in excess of $15,000.
The lawsuit states the children were placed into the ride (placed on their stomach inside a cage-like structure), and then the ride began. As the ride spun in the air, the compartment in which the children were lying became dislodged from the ride, and the children were thrown more than 30 feet. The three children crashed on top of a bumper car ride and suffered numerous injuries. Natashia suffered a dislocated shoulder, broken arm and wrist and back pain; Nyeshia had a broken leg and fractured skull; and Kenson broke several teeth and needed stitches in his chin.
The lawsuit alleges that the operator of the Cliff Hanger failed to operate the ride safely and failed to reasonably inspect and maintain the ride. According to Robert H. Jacobs, chief of the Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection, a state inspection concluded the carrier separated from the structure because of a combination of design and operational factors. The Bureau is responsible for inspecting rides at temporary events (fairs and carnivals) and permanent amusement parks for structural and operational integrity. The Bureau has statewide responsibility to inspect all amusement rides in the state, except for certain large parks that have more than 1,000 employees and have their own full-time inspectors on staff.
The company that made the Cliff Hanger ride, Dartron Manufacturing, has since developed a program that included installation of new devices on the ride, and the state verified that the company’s corrective actions were implemented by the owners and operators of the Cliff Hanger.
If you or a loved one has been injured at a theme park in Orlando or anywhere in Florida, please visit the website of experienced Theme Park Accident Attorneys Wooten, Honeywell, Kimbrough, Gibson, Doherty & Normand, P.A.
