With Little or No State and Federal Regulation Regarding Zip Lines, Consumers May Not Always Understand the Risks of Injuries or Death
Statistics indicate that an estimated 18 million people a year will use commercial zip lines, but many are not aware that there is currently little or no state and Federal regulations regarding zip lines.
Many times while on a cruise or another “adventure in paradise”, consumers are enticed to ride zip lines over canyons, zoos, rain forest canopies, water, fire, and gorges – the ultimate thrill seeking adventure. Typically a zip line requires the rider to hang from a harness as they travel from a higher elevation point to a lower point using gravity as the power source. It is not uncommon to reach speeds of 50 to 60 mph. There are currently hundreds of zip line rides available in the United States as they have dramatically increased in popularity. I was recently on a cruise ship with my family in the Caribbean and the ship’s activity guide video in our room promoted zip lines at almost every island in which we stopped.
As an experienced zip line accident lawyer, unfortunately I deal with many cases involving catastrophic injury and fatalities resulting from zip line accidents.
We were recently contacted by an individual who was catastrophically injured on a zip line that was newly installed in a major ski resort. The client was required to sign a waiver before strapping on the harness, and the waiver allegedly released the company from any and all liability in the case of severe injury and even death.