Summer is coming, and children all over the United States will visit amusement parks, fairs, and carnivals during the warm weather when school is out. It is very important that children and parents are aware of the risks of amusement park rides in the United States. A study by the Research Institute at the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and the Center for Injury Research and Policy says that more than 4,000 American children are harmed on amusement park rides every single year. Between 1990 and 2010, about 93,000 children under 18 were transported to U.S. emergency rooms because of ride-related injuries. This means that there are about 4,500 amusement park injuries that require medical attention every year.

More than 70% of these injuries occur in between May and September when children are most likely to visit amusement parks, Researchers say that an average of 20 injuries happen every day across the nation during the summer months. Hospital data shows that children are most often injured in the head and neck region. This was the area of injury in about 28% of all amusement ride injury cases. As well, about 24% of all injuries are to the arms, and 18% are to the face. 17% of all injuries are to the legs.

The most common amusement park ride injury is a soft tissue injury such as whiplash. About 29% of all accidents involved whiplash. This is why the head and neck are the most commonly harmed regions of the body. Rides that take off too fast or whip the riders around can often cause a child to throw his or her head back, causing painful damage to soft tissue. Ride manufacturers should try to minimize the amount of whipping back and forth on rides or provide padded headrests with side rests to help riders avoid throwing their head to the side. In 21% of all amusement park injuries, a strain or sprain is the cause of the accident. Another 20% of all accidents are cuts, and then 10% are broken bones.

Not many of these injuries require hospitalization, and most are treatable for same-day release from the medical facility. This means that serious injuries from amusement park rides are rare. Still, in the months between May and September reports show that a child in the U.S. was hospitalized in an amusement park accident every three days. Clinical Pediatrics says that this average is a good reminder that accidents can happen. Children are most likely to suffer injuries after falling from a ride. 32% of all young children who were hospitalized after their amusement park injury fell off of the ride. Another 18% were sent to the hospital after they were hit by something while riding or when a part of their body was hit. This is why many rides have warnings to keep hands, arms, and legs inside the car at all times. Children who don't' adhere to this warning may break a limb when they move it outside of the car that is rushing at a high speed.

Not all ride injuries occur at theme parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios, or Six Flags. In fact, only 33% of all ride injuries are at amusement parks. Another 29% of all ride injuries are on mobile rides at fairs and festivals, and 12% of the accidents are rides that are at malls, stores, arcades, restaurants, or other places of recreation. In the summer, children frequent all of these locations, so it is important that they remain aware of the risks they take when they got on a ride. If you were injured on a ride, you may have the right to litigate. Talk to a local personal injury attorney today for more information!