Some Georgia residents might have heard about a death at a state fair on July 26 when a ride malfunctioned. An 18-year-old man was killed in Ohio and seven other people, including his girlfriend, were injured when a ride called the Fire Ball broke.
The man’s family have retained legal counsel and intend to pursue a lawsuit for wrongful death. The law firm has hired a company to investigate the accident. The ride had been inspected earlier that day and nothing was found to be wrong with it.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are also investigating the incident. The man’s mother released a statement saying the family simply wanted to know what had happened and how it could be prevented so that another family would not have to deal with such a loss.
When a person dies in an accident of this nature, multiple parties might be responsible. For example, the manufacturer might be at fault, but there may also be premises liability for the owner of the property. A person whose loved one has died in a situation in which the person believes a wrongful death suit may be appropriate might want to talk to an attorney about issues around filing the suit. In Georgia, children or spouses of a deceased person are the only ones who may file a wrongful death suit, and parents and the representative of the person’s estate may only have the right to file if the person is unmarried and has no children. An attorney also may be able to explain the statute of limitations and what types of damages may be recoverable in such a suit including lost income and medical expenses.
Source: USA Today, “Family of Ohio State Fair victim pursues wrongful death lawsuit“, Jessie Balmert, July 28, 2017