Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

A 20-year-old thrill seeker stepped off a 50 foot high platform at the end of a zip line course when a lowering device quickly lowered him beyond the normal rate of speed, causing him to sustain painful bodily injury. According to news sources, the zip line lowering device was immediately removed and sent to the manufacturer for testing to determine why the rapid descent occurred.

Sources indicate that the equipment used was the same equipment commonly used throughout the zip line industry. The accident occurred at Sky Valley Zip Tours, which indicated that there was no failure on the part of the staff management or the zip line itself. They further added that they are committed to upholding the highest standards and best practices in the industry and also stated that “no tours have been cancelled at this point and the course will remain open.”

As an experienced zip line accident lawyer in PA, I am curious to follow the course of this investigation to learn just what went wrong and why the lowering device lowered the victim faster than normal. Thankfully at this time no permanent injuries were sustained. However, initial medical reports from the scene indicate that the victim was conscious but in serious pain when medics arrived after a 4:45 p.m. post-accident call.

Continue reading "A Zip Line is Only as Safe as its Weakest Link" »

On Sunday, September 2, 2012, just before 5:00 p.m., rescue and medic squads rushed to the Sky Valley Zip Tour Center to rescue a man who had fallen 50 feet from a zip line amusement operation.

Zip lines are opening in many major amusement and ancillary amusement facilities at a rapid pace, and unfortunately, many zip lines have been constructed without adherence to any federal or state safety standards. Not only are zip lines potentially hazardous to your life and health, but many resorts have started to also add the additional kick of nighttime zip lines for an increased thrill factor.

Over the past weekend and month, a large number of zip line accidents have occurred calling into question just how safe the seemingly innocuous amusement and thrill attractions are. As an experienced and published amusement and zip line safety advocate, I remain extraordinarily concerned that zip lines present an unknowingly dangerous form of entertainment for families and young people.

Continue reading "Another Zip Line Accident Results in 50 Foot Fall to Victim: Zip Line Accident Attorney Addresses Safety Concerns" »

Two weeks ago, clients of mine were on a once in a lifetime adventure vacation which quickly turned into a tragedy. They were enticed to board a zip line which proudly pronounced in its advertisement that you can “fly through the air without having to flap a single wing”. As the newlyweds boarded the zip line for “an adventure of a lifetime”, there was a catastrophic equipment failure and the zip line braking system failed.

There was no backup braking safety system or adequate padding to prevent a high speed collision into a metal pole at the end of the zip line. The end result was multiple fractures, internal injuries, and cosmetic disfigurement. The victim narrowly escaped death but his medical bills and economic losses due to his inability to work and receive medical treatment continued to pile up. Incidentally, I forgot to mention that the zip line operator required the signing of a waiver of liability prior to boarding the attraction.

As an experienced zip line accident attorney, I continue to see the rise in popularity of zip lines with enticing advertisements to thrill seekers who are unaware of the dangers when the sport goes wrong. There are hundreds of zip line facilities in the United States with many opening at ski resorts.

Continue reading "Zip Lines Can Be Hazardous To Your Health - In Fact, an Amusement Accident Lawyer Advises They May Even Be Deadly" »

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.

Continue reading "With Little or No State and Federal Regulation Regarding Zip Lines, Consumers May Not Always Understand the Risks of Injuries or Death" »

Last September, an employee of a Hawaiian zip line adventure was killed and another person was seriously injured as a result of a tower collapse allegedly caused by ground anchored soil that failed to withstand the load of the tower holding the cables and its riders. The Hawaiian State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Bureau of Occupational Safety and Health Division concluded their investigation of GoZip, LLC and noted that there was a direct relationship of the zip line company’s failure to take reasonable precautions that would ensure that anchors being used on the zip line system were sturdy enough to support the loads being carried.

According to news sources, the tragic zip line accident occurred as an employee of the zip line company was test riding the zip line while another person, a resident of Ohio working on the project, remained on the platform of a tower located at the upper end of the line. It was at this time that the ground anchors supporting the tower were unexpectedly and abruptly pulled out of the ground causing a tower collapse and the zip line cables to sway into the stream valley. The 36-year-old employee riding the zip line fell 200 feet suffering severe injuries that lead to his death and the employee stationed on the platform fell approximately 30 feet suffering serious injuries.

The investigation revealed that the soil in which the anchor system was rooted contained Pahala ash, a mineral made of fine particulars that loses 90% of its natural strength when disturbed. The company operating the zip line is allegedly facing penalties totaling more than $13,000 for the injuries and fatality that could have been prevented with proper testing and maintenance.

As an amusement park injury attorney familiar with zip line accidents and other thrill ride misadventures, I salute the fact that the State of Hawaii performed a careful investigation to determine the cause of this accident. However, a penalty of $13,000 for the injuries and fatality seems de minimus when compared with the grave nature of this situation.

Although many adventure attractions and amusements involve a certain degree of rider risk, it is senseless and tragic when operators and installers of such attractions do not properly test or secure the anchoring systems that should be designed to safely transport rides.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. With over 18 million people in the United States riding commercial zip lines each year, we hope that this incident provides a wakeup call and that the proper parties are held civilly accountable for damages.

Flying down a zip line suspended in air is becoming more and more popular throughout the United States and other countries.

I recently took a cruise with my family and on three of the islands we visited, shore excursions or adventures of the day included a zip line adventure. In fact, my ship even had a zip line on board as a thrill attraction. Every year, millions of thrill seekers become zip line enthusiasts and the zip line amusement industry is booming. But at what cost? Statistics indicate that approximately 18 to 20 million people ride commercially operated zip lines annually according to the Association For Challenge Course Technology. Even more riders travel on non-commercial zip lines.

Since the year 2000, the zip line industry has grown exponentially and many states have no specific regulations, and in fact, there are no federal laws specifically dealing with zip lines. Unfortunately due to there being no regulation of zip lines, many accidents occur due to snapped lines or equipment failures.

As an experienced Pennsylvania amusement accident attorney, I am aware of one thing for certain, that questions about amusement and zip line safety are not new. However, relatively little has been done to address these issues. Unfortunately, many zip line ride manufacturers, owners, operators, and insurers may handle the safety of zip lines as they choose. Participants who are unaware of the risks of such a ride have no idea what to expect or how to react in a dangerous situation and can often end up with fractures, spinal injuries, or worse yet, death.

Recently a Georgia woman was severely injured when a zip line snapped on a 24-year-old woman’s second ride, sending the nature loving thrill seeker onto the rocks beneath, leaving her with a life threatening injury. Although the zip line industry professionals insist that accidents are rare and safety is paramount, I beg to differ.

The amusement ride accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily understand that prosecuting a zip line accident case often involves a combination of legal theories including, but not limited to, product liability, negligence, premises liability, criminal liability, and potential inadequate security issues. In most zip line accident cases, defendants will assert that most victims assume the risk and that he or she recognized the dangers inherent in the activity. However, our skilled attorneys and experts understand that a victim cannot assume concealed risks or those risks of which he or she is unaware. Until the federal government and state governments close these safety loopholes and properly address a current patchwork of amusement accident regulations and zip line accident regulations, it is left to amusement park accident attorneys to protect the rights of the people who seek fun and not injury when they sign up for a zip line adventure.

At Reiff & Bily, we have over three decades of experience representing those who are catastrophically injured and family members of those wrongfully killed. We are proud to announce that we have recently been named to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by National Trial Lawyers Association and Top 100 Attorneys in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. We always offer a free, no obligation consultation and believe that consumer safety is priority number one rather than the profitability of amusement attraction and zip line operators.