Hobbsr: Water Slide Injuries: Legal Liability Facts You Should Know

Nothing says summer like a water slide. Whether you're rocketing down a chute at a water park or zipping into a backyard swimming pool, there's just something about the sun and spray that spells freedom and fun.

Unfortunately, water slides can also spell danger, and water slide injuries are far too common to ignore. So what happens if you or a loved one is injured on a water slide? That could depend on where that slide is. Here's what you need to know.

Park Liability

Theme parks, amusement parks, and water parks are responsible for operating safe rides and amusements and maintaining safe areas around them. A park could be held liable for injuries on a water slide if the slide is defective or a park's negligence caused a ride to be improperly operated or maintained, or the slide's manufacturer could also be liable if the slide has a defect in design, manufacturing, or warnings.

The park could also be held liable for the actions its employees -- including lifeguards, slide operators, and even maintenance personnel -- if they fail to operate the slide safely, monitor guests' use of the slide, or repair the slide when needed. Accidents and injuries caused by a water park employee will be the liability of the park if the employee's actions fell within his or her scope of employment.

Home Liability

Not all water slides are at public parks. If you or a neighbor has a slide attached to a pool, or if you've got a nifty slip 'n slide setup in the backyard, the homeowner could be liable for any injuries sustained from the slide. Even if a pool or backyard isn't open to the public, homeowners are still responsible for maintaining a hazard-free environment for guests. And pool owners especially must take care that friends and strangers alike are not injured in what the law considers an "attractive nuisance."

Whether you've been injured on a water slide, or someone else has been injured on your water slide, you should contact an experienced injury attorney today.

Related Resources: