There’s nothing like a fun outdoor event with friends and family, especially during summertime. However, even a fun outdoor concert, festival, or marketplace can turn catastrophic if you suffer a personal injury. Read on to learn more about the possible injuries that happen when event owners fail to take the right precautions.
Stampedes
Some events are standing-room only. When you go to certain events like festivals or see a popular act perform, you risk being packed in with thousands of other people. So what if event handlers didn’t take the precautions to ensure enough safety exits, or that a crowd didn’t go beyond the safety capacity allowed? If something causes people to panic, such as a shooting, fire, or stage collapse, it may cause people to run to safety. If some people fall down in the process, they could easily be run over and crushed by a stampede.
Such a case happened in 2021 at a religious festival in Israel. The stampede resulted in 45 deaths and 150 more injuries. A chain of chaotic events resulted when people were trying to get out of a narrow passageway, and some slipped and fell.
Failed Rides
Amusement parks continue to be a fun time for kids and adults alike. So many rides create thrills and scares that get the adrenaline pumping. That’s why when theme parks can market having the largest or highest roller coaster ride or Ferris wheel, it often brings on more customers out of sheer curiosity. What happens when a ride fails while people are on them? It can result in serious injury as well as fatality, especially if someone falls from an extreme height.
In 2017, what should have been a joyous hot-air balloon ride ended in tragedy due to the pilot using drugs. 16 people died when the balloon crashed in Texas. The incident happened due to the use of sedatives and opioids taken by the pilot before the flight.
Assaults
An outdoor event should be a time of fun, laughter, relaxation, good music, dancing, and more. Unfortunately, such times can turn to tragedy when someone takes it upon themselves to take their anger out on an unsuspecting crowd. In the past few years, some people have used parades and outdoor parties to hurt people with weapons such as guns, knives, and even cars. That’s why outdoor events should do what they can to have enough security available to squash armed assailants as quickly as possible.
Fires
Fireworks displays can always be fun to watch, especially on holidays such as the 4th of July and Memorial Day. However, fireworks are illegal in some areas, and any event handler should be aware of that. Even if fireworks are legal, they should only be used in a safe zone where there’s no chance of igniting something nearby. The same precaution should be in use with pyrotechnics during a concert. If people participating in or in charge of an event don’t understand fire safety rules, it can result in serious injuries such as burns or stampedes as people run away from a fire.
If you live in the Atlanta area, you may attend the annual Essence Festival or the Grant Park Past and Future Food Walk. While you should enjoy these and other events as they pop up, just be mindful of your rights if you are the victim of a personal injury during such a time. If you’ve been injured at an outdoor event or other situation, reach out to your Atlanta personal injury lawyers for a consultation.
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