“Negligence shatters lives. It can happen to anyone. It could happen to you.”
– #RebuildingShatteredLives
Accidents caused by negligence can happen to absolutely anyone and this is exactly why Indiscriminate is one of the main messages the Rebuilding Shattered Lives campaign is conveying. Wolf Law and the entire personal injury law community deal with accidents and injuries that don’t discriminate every day. Below is an example of an accident that was indiscriminate.
On the 30th of May 2019 a child was seriously injured at the Lightwater Valley Theme Park in Ripon, North Yorkshire. The seven-year-old child was ejected from the Twister ride which resulted in him being air lifted to hospital with serious head injuries.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation which found that although people between 1.2m and 1.5m tall must wear seat belts on the ride, children under 1.5m were seen via CCTV footage not wearing their seatbelts – this was backed up by statements from the public. They also found after examination many belts were not functioning properly and allowed ‘significant gaps’ to remain and ‘did not fully contain smaller passengers’.
Judge Adrian Lower was told in the court the boy had not been wearing a seatbelt and had subsequently fell through a gap between the restraining bar and the seat of the car. The boy’s mother, who was in the car with him, told the court they weren’t told he had to wear a seat belt.
Lightwater Valley Attractions Ltd pleaded guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £333, 344 and ordered to pay costs of £16,183.
HSE inspector Andrea Jones spoke after the hearing and said: “This was an entirely avoidable incident. Several children were put at risk and Lightwater Valley has now been held to account for their failings.” If you have been affected by negligence, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Wolf Law personal injury lawyers today. Our experienced lawyers can offer friendly advice and assess your claim for any type of accident or injury.
