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Skydiving and paragliding are some of the most exhilarating things that someone can do. Soaring through the air thousands of feet in the sky is not something that everyone has the heart to do. They are typically activities that adrenaline junkies do. In order to participate in these high flying excursions across the sky, someone must be properly trained and have the proper equipment to do so. These aspects are very important when doing these activities. One little mistake can be the difference between someone’s life and death. Meaning, if the equipment being used is faulty or the training being received is inadequate, the results of this negligence can be oftentimes deadly. Instructors, the equipment manufacturers, employees, and recreation companies all could be held legally responsible for any accidents that may occur when someone decides to use their services skydive or paraglide.
Most fatal accidents when someone is either skydiving or paragliding is caused by human error. Your life could be put at a huge risk if the instructor or pilot makes a large negligent error. If someone has an injury or death that occurs during the excursion ude to the gross negligence of a skydiving company, plane pilot, or skydiving instructor, they may be held liable for the damages that occur. Even though skydivers and paragliders are required to sign waivers before partaking in the activity, an act of gross negligence has the potential to void contents of the waiver and leave the company at fault. Several million skydives and paraglides happen annually in the United States. In 2015, there were an estimated 3.5 million jumps. Unfortunately within the same year, there were 21 skydiving fatalities. According to the United States Parachute Association, in 2015, there were an estimated additional 1,920 injuries from skydiving that required medical treatment. This equals out to be about one injury per 1,806 skydives.
One of the common reasons for skydiving accidents is product defects. This typically happens when something like the parachute does not effectively slow someone down and causes them to injure themselves from hitting the ground too hard. A second example that can cause an injury or a fatality is equipment malfunction. A prime example of this is if the parachute does not come out of the pack it is being held in. Obviously, the most important thing when skydiving is to have a proper working parachute. Without it, you are just jumping out of a plane with no regards to safety and can be extremely dangerous. Another example of equipment malfunction is if the safety harness breaks and does not strap someone in properly. If someone is not strapped in properly by the safety harness, they could fall easier or even distribute their weight in a way that is not appropriate for the skydive. If the weight is flailing around and not maintained in a proper place, this will make it harder for the instructors to maintain control while the skydiving is happening. Even though skydiving can be extremely fun, it can also be extremely dangerous if the proper safety precautions are not met.
If you or a loved one has been injured while skydiving or paragliding, let a personal injury lawyer, or possibly a brain injury lawyer Kansas City, MO trusts, such as from Royce Injury Attorneys, represent you for your case. Contact a law firm today.