A late July accident involving a Wisconsin Dells thrill ride that left a 12-year-old girl in critical condition with multiple serious injuries puts a spotlight on the dangerous intersection of negligence and recreation. Teagan Marti, of Parkland, Florida, fell 100 feet to the ground from the carriage of Terminal Velocity, a so-called amusement ride at Extreme World that hoists paying participants 165 feet in the air and allows them to free fall back to Earth.
Marti suffered a devastating series of injuries, including severe fractures of the cervical and lumbar segments of her spine, swelling of her brain, multiple pelvis fractures, and lacerations of internal organs. She was unconscious and unresponsive for days, and may never walk again.
People who brave the frightening Terminal Velocity experience hang suspended in a harness until a "dive master" releases them to fall into a suspended safety net above inflated bags intended to cushion the landing. But Charles Carnell, a manager at Extreme World and a certified Terminal Velocity operator, failed to follow proper protocols. The safety devices were not deployed and the girl's descent was not slowed before she struck the ground.
"He feels absolutely horrible about what happened here. He made a mistake ... and a mistake is not a crime," Carnell's attorney told WISC TV in Madison. Local prosecutors disagreed, and charged Carnell with first-degree reckless injury, which is punishable by a 25-year prison sentence.
Marti's family has said that they will pursue legal action to hold Extreme World accountable. Marti's father was shocked by the negligence that caused catastrophic injury to his daughter: "How can someone be allowed to open a door to let somebody drop 100 feet to the ground without there being a fail-safe mechanism? That's ridiculous."
A report released by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce stated that operator error was the cause of the accident, and Extreme World's owner acknowledged that the accident was the fault of a park employee. Police reports indicate that Carnell was running the ride for the first time in two weeks, and was only on duty because the regular operator was speaking with an insurance adjuster.
Enlisting an Attorney When Negligence Turns Recreation Into Tragedy
Wisconsin's many recreational opportunities pose many dangers, from drowning and boat collisions on the state's lakes and rivers to poorly designed playground equipment that causes injuries to children. Good sense and caution can easily be canceled out by drunken behavior, defective equipment or an operator's lapse of judgment.
Families who are devastated by amusement park accidents and other avoidable harm can learn a great deal about their prospects for recovery of compensation and other legal options in an initial consultation with a personal injury attorney.
