Pittsburgh
County Fair Injury Lawyer

On This Page

1. Liability for County Fair Injuries
2. How do county fair injuries occur?
3. Who is responsible for my county fair accident?
4. Can I sue for a county fair injury?
5. What compensation can I receive with a settlement?
6. Finding a county fair injury lawyer in Pittsburgh

REVIEWED BY

C. William Kenny

January 01, 2024

Board certified by National Board of Trial Advocacy

Liability for County Fair Injuries

Every year, you and your family look forward to the county fair. But you never expect your fun to turn into a nightmare of injuries sustained on a midway ride or carnival attraction.

Unfortunately, even a wholesome experience like the fair can harm you or a family member, due to someone’s negligence. Fortunately, a county fair injury lawyer can protect your legal rights and fight for the financial compensation you deserve.

At Berger and Green, our skilled Pittsburgh personal injury lawyers are standing by to assist you with your personal injury claim. Call us at 412-661-1400 to schedule a free claim evaluation with a county fair injury lawyer in Pittsburgh.

How do county fair injuries occur?

When working properly, the rides at a county fair can offer thousands of visitors countless hours of amusement. When they malfunction, however, the results can be deadly.

County fair ride accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

• Improper equipment maintenance;
• Mechanical failure;
• Defective components;
• Design defects;
• Assembly error;
• Operator error;
• Lack of operator training;
• Operator fatigue; and
• No safety inspection.

Not all country fair injuries happen on the midway rides, however. Fairgoers can also sustain injuries playing midway games, at the petting zoo, or in slip and fall accidents on a walkway or in a parking lot.

County fair visitors can sustain a variety of different injuries after an accident, but the most common include:

• Cuts and bruises;
• Broken bones;
• Neck and back injuries;
• Ligament, tendon, and muscle injuries;
• Head trauma, concussions, and brain injuries;
• Loss of digits;
• Loss of extremities;
• Decapitation; and
• Wrongful death.

Many county fair injuries require a trip to the emergency room. Treatment for injury victims may include expensive hospital stays and physical therapy. More severe injuries may require high level trauma treatment for neurological injuries.

If you suffered an injury at a county fair, contact us. Whether your accident happened on a ride, at a game stall, or elsewhere on the fairgrounds, we will collect the evidence we need to hold the responsible party liable for your damages.

Who is responsible for my county fair accident?

Typically, each Pennsylvania county government—or some division of it—owns its own country fairground facilities. However, during the run of a county fair, most counties hire one or more outside amusement companies to provide the carnival rides, midway games, and other attractions. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) maintains a registry of all amusement companies operating in the state. Each company must comply with the PDA’s safety regulations and follow their guidelines regarding equipment inspection and maintenance.

Depending on the circumstances of your accident, the county, the amusement company, or both could be at fault for your injuries. If a PDA inspector failed in their duties somehow, they may also contribute some fault.

Our attorneys will gather evidence showing who was at fault for your county fair injury. We will go after the party or parties responsible through an insurance claim or even a lawsuit, if necessary.

Can I sue for a county fair injury?

You can file suit against the county, the amusement company, and the PDA for your injuries, if necessary. However, as they all carry insurance, most injury claims go through the appropriate party’s insurance carrier first.

In your case, we will first file a claim directly with the insurance company representing the at-fault party. If the insurer is not willing to negotiate a fair settlement for your injuries, we can file a lawsuit on your behalf. We will argue your case in court to get you the maximum compensation you deserve.

What compensation can I receive with a settlement?

When we file your claim, we will include all of your medical bills, care costs, and lost wages, if the injury caused you to miss work. Depending on the nature of your injuries, you may require medical care in the future—especially if you are now facing any type of disability. The value of your claim will also include any future lost earning potential, pain and suffering, and loss of life’s enjoyment.

To support your claim, we will take witness statements, obtain any available photographs or video footage of the incident, and subpoena relevant safety records from the amusement company.

We may consult with medical experts to obtain testimony regarding your prognosis and the amount of medical care you will require in the future. The final value of the settlement request we file with the at-fault party’s insurer will depend on the severity of your injuries.

To protect your legal rights and ensure that you can pursue compensation for your injuries, we advise you not to provide any statement to the county, the amusement company, or any insurance company without legal representation present. These parties may take any information you provide and use it to reduce the amount they will pay out in a settlement—or deny your claim altogether.

Likewise, do not sign any release forms or accept an early offer for a settlement. Insurance companies will often try to get injured victims to accept early settlement offers as a way to quickly take care of the problem. These early settlements offer only a small fraction of the money you need to pay for your future care.

Finding a county fair injury lawyer in Pittsburgh

When it comes to filing your claim, time is of the essence. The longer you wait to select a personal injury attorney, the harder it will be for your lawyer to gather evidence to build your case.

That is why you need to contact Berger and Green as soon as possible after an accident at a county fair. We provide professional representation for clients who sustain injuries as a result of others’ negligence. Contact us today at 412-661-1400 to schedule a complimentary consultation and case review or to speak directly to a Pittsburgh county fair injury lawyer.