Who is Liable When Patrons Slip and Fall in Water Parks?

Water parks provide refreshing entertainment for families enjoying the hot Florida sunshine. Although rides and other attractions that involve bodies of water have an inherent risk of drowning, these accidents are actually quite rare. Perhaps the most common type of water park injuries involve slipping and falling.

Florida statutes regarding amusement park safety acknowledge that water rides pose safety risks beyond those for other types of attractions. As such, water park owners are required to conduct daily inspections on the safety status of everything from walkways to signage and to report the results. Although a park may assume liability for an injury caused by a slip and fall on algae or on any surface that does not meet safety standards when wet, patrons are also expected to act with a reasonable degree of caution to avoid accidents. Patrons may not be able to allege park liability in the following situations:

• When they slip and fall in areas where clear warning signs caution the unavoidably slippery conditions
• When parents fail to supervise small children who slip while running on wet surfaces
• When they sustain serious injuries in areas not open to the public

Slip and fall accidents at water parks often result in serious injuries to the spine or head. Delaying treatment in these situations could dramatically worsen the effects, so it is important to seek medical attention after an injury. But remember that parks are responsible for maintaining safe conditions, and that if they are negligent in doing so, victims have a right to take appropriate legal action.