Helping a young client after a frightening ride malfunction at an amusement park

The claim was brought while our client was still a minor, with her mum acting as her Litigation Friend and managing the claim on her daughter’s behalf. Children can’t bring a claim on their own, so a parent or guardian steps in as their Litigation Friend to make decisions on their behalf. The law also gives children extra time to claim: the usual three-year time limit doesn’t start until they turn 18, so families aren’t rushed into decisions while their child is still young.

Our team guided the family through each stage with care and understanding of this rare situation that most families never expect to face, explaining what needed to happen next and making sure decisions were made with her best interests in mind.

The incident happened at a UK amusement park, where our client, aged 11, was visiting with her family. She was a passenger on the Volcano ride, a tower‑drop attraction that rises to 54 metres, reaches speeds of up to 50 mph, and uses compressed air to propel the carriage upwards at high speed.

After the operator released the ride to start, two passengers realised their restraints had not been secured and jumped from their seats. The operator pressed the emergency stop, and at the same moment a loud burst like noise occurred. The ride’s air system released vapourised water at pressure, causing immediate pain to our client’s legs and ears.

What should have been an enjoyable family day out suddenly became a frightening experience. Alongside her physical injuries, our young client was left with understandable anxiety after the ordeal and uncertainty about what had happened.

On the day of the incident, the malfunction began with an avoidable operator error. Before starting the Volcano ride, the operator did not check that all seat restraints were secured. When he pressed ‘go’ to send the carriage upwards, two passengers realised their restraints were open and jumped from their seats, prompting an immediate emergency stop.

That sudden stop was followed by a failure within the ride’s air system. A loud burst‑like noise occurred and vapourised water was released at pressure, leaving our young client in pain and frightened by an incident she could not make sense of.

Later engineering investigations found that a friction fitting on a pipe within the air system had failed. Our engineering expert found the pipe hadn’t been fitted with the restraints needed to prevent separation, that key checks did not appear to have been carried out, and that there were gaps in the Defendant’s inspection records for the week leading up to the accident.

For the family, understanding both the operator error and the underlying maintenance concerns helped explain how such a sudden and frightening malfunction could happen on a ride designed for young people.

Our client experienced both physical pain and a lasting emotional impact after the incident. In the days and weeks after the incident she experienced:

• Lower‑leg pain with redness and discomfort from the water release. This settled within three days.
• Hearing damage, leading to ringing, temporary deafness and intermittent tinnitus caused by the loud noise. These resolved within two weeks.
• Night terrors, which stopped within a couple of weeks, show the emotional stress our young client experienced

Thankfully, our client’s physical symptoms settled, but the emotional effects she felt lasted much longer. She became extremely nervous about amusement rides and continued to experience occasional nightmares a year later. She also needed a short time away from school to recover at home, supported closely by her family.

For a child, an unexpected and frightening incident like this can have a ripple effect, affecting confidence, sleep and everyday routines long after the physical injuries have healed.

In Clare’s own words

“It was important to make sure the family understood what had happened and felt supported throughout the process. Our young client went through a frightening experience, and I’m pleased we were able to help the family reach a resolution that acknowledged what she went through.”

Childhood injuries can affect far more than physical health. A sudden incident can leave a child feeling unsettled and unsure about activities they once enjoyed.

In this case, the resolution has helped acknowledge what our young client went through in an environment where safety should always be paramount. It has given her and her family access to support if they need it and a sense of closure after an incident that disrupted what should have been a fun and memorable day out.

Venues like amusement parks have a legal duty to keep their equipment properly maintained and inspected, so visitors can enjoy rides safely. When that duty isn’t met, families are entitled to answers, and to hold the venue accountable.

If your child has been injured because reasonable steps were not taken to keep them safe, our child injury solicitors can help you understand your options. You can read more about how we support families through child accident claims.