Raleigh Personal Injury Lawyer: Vortex Operator Gets Torrent of Fines
In legal terms, negligence is defined as the failure to perform one’s duty in accordance to applicable standards. If a person in North Carolina is injured because another person or business disregarded ordinary standards of care, he or she may obtain compensation from the party who caused the injury with the help of a Raleigh personal injury lawyer.
In a January 6 post, Kurtz & Blum, PLLC discussed the Vortex ride accident at the NC State Fair that injured five people. Authorities conducted an investigation into the cause of the accident and discovered that the ride’s critical safety devices have been tampered with and compromised. Vortex ride owner Joshua Gene Macaroni was charged with felony assault.
Here is the latest news on the accident, courtesy of the News & Observer’s Bruce Siceloff:
“The state Labor Department has levied $114,200 in fines for safety violations blamed for an Oct. 24 accident at the N.C. State Fair, where five people were hurt when a malfunctioning thrill ride flung fairgoers into the air.
In a 22-page investigation report issued Wednesday, the Labor Department described new details in the case of the Vortex ride. The department contends that the ride owner and an employee used electrical wires on two separate dates to override safety features that were supposed to prevent the Vortex from moving unless riders were secured in their seats.
Joshua Macaroni of Valdosta, Ga., the ride owner, installed the first “jumper wire” that bypassed the safety feature on Oct. 17, the opening day of the fair, the report said. The ride had stopped working, and it began running again after Macaroni installed the jumper wire, the report said.”
Although none of the levied $114,200 will go to the injured parties, the decision by the N.C. Department of Labor shows that the victims of the accident may have a stronger case for personal injury against the owner and operator of the Vortex ride.
No one wants to be injured. However, when one person’s negligence affects another person’s well-being, the injured party can turn to a trusted Raleigh personal injury attorney like the ones at Kurtz & Blum, PLLC to consider all their options. Our office can be reached at 919-832-7700.
(Source: NC Labor Department issues fines of $114,200 in Vortex accident, News Observer, Apr. 23, 2014)
