We have recently secured compensation for a client who had an accident on a ride at Devon’s Crealy Adventure Park.
Our client worked with children with special educational needs and, alongside her colleagues, had taken some of the children for a day trip to the adventure park near Exeter.
The accident occurred while our client was riding the Vortex, which Crealy Adventure Park claims is the world’s first water coaster. It stands 16 metres high and consists of three slides, each featuring special effects.
Our client was accompanying a child in her care on the ride when the dingy they were travelling in failed to stop or slow at the end of the ride. As a result it slammed into the barrier with such force that both visitors were injured, with our client suffering an injury to her back.
It was not known what caused the accident to occur. The claim against Crealy Adventure Park was therefore pursued on the basis of a legal principle known as ‘res ipsa loquitur’. In simple terms this means that where something has happened, that wouldn’t be expected to happen without there being some negligence, then the onus is on the defendant to prove they were not at fault.
The insurers of Crealy Adventure Park didn’t contest the accident claim and admitted liability for the injuries suffered by our client. This paved the way for an out of court settlement to be reached.