Fair Owner Fined Over Incident
The owner of a fairground in Nottingham has been fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs after a 12-year-old girl suffered a leg injury when she was thrown from a ride.
Henry Evans of Nottingham pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations in relation to the incident on the Tagada fairground ride at Star City, Birmingham, when the youngster fell three metres through a gap in a barrier gate when the attraction tilted.
An investigation into the incident by the Health and Safety Executive revealed that a horizontal rail in the gate had been missing for several months prior to the incident in October 2009.
Public liability specialists at Irwin Mitchell represent victims who have been seriously injured as a result of accidents in public places, including those hurt as a result of safety failings on fairground rides.
Stephen Nye, a Partner and expert in such cases at the firm’s Birmingham office, said: “The owners and operators of fairground attractions have a duty to customers to ensure that safety is a fundamental priority.
“However, this case is very similar to many others we have acted in, where people of all ages have been seriously injured and suffered psychological trauma as a result of accidents at theme parks and fairgrounds, and shows that many operators still have a lot to learn on this issue.
“We hope that lessons can be learned from this case which will ensure that every effort is made to prevent incidents of this kind in the future.”