Legal news for California personal injury attorneys. Knott’s Berry Farm and roller coaster manufacturer faulted for 2009 accident that injured two.
California personal injury attorneys alerts- Cal/OSHA said the Knott’s Berry Farm roller coaster accident was due to poor maintenance.
Buena Park, CA—The 2009 Knott’s Berry Farm roller coast accident that injured two riders could have been prevented, according to state investigators. Officials stated that proper maintenance could have prevented the accident, which casted blamed on both Knott’s Berry Farm and the ride manufacturer, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The $13 million roller coaster, Xcelerator, was reopened on April 26, 2010 after the theme park made corrections that were mandated by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The 2009 incident left a 12-year-old boy with a cut leg and a man with a hurt back. In a YouTube video of the incident a “blast of debris sprayed riders as a cable snapped loose during the zero-to-80 mph hydraulic launch up the distinctive 205-foot-all top hat element. As the train descended back towards the station, frantic riders tried to free themselves from the smoking coaster.”
Cal/OSHA faulted both Knott’s and the manufacturer, Switzerland-based Intamin AG. Knott was reportedly 19 days late on a six-month cable inspection at the time of the accident as well.
Knott released a statement regarding the state’s report, which “identified shortcomings in the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the inspection and maintenance of the cable” and that the state agency had “required Knott’s Berry Farm to put into place additional safeguards to determine cable viability and to work with the manufacturer to revise maintenance instructions.”
Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for California personal injury lawyers.
