Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer - Workplace Injuries

Another Florida Theme Park Employee Accident

Ed Normand — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Last night, the Orlando Fire Department was called out to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. An employee working on the Revenge of the Mummy ride fell from a ladder, and landed on a platform. Rescue workers took the employee to a local hospital to be evaluated. Though it appears the employee is going to be OK, this most recent accident only highlights the risk of injury and even death that employees face at theme parks. After a rash of employee accidents over the summer, workplace safety is becoming a growing concern for theme park workers.

The most publicized accident over the summer was the untimely death of Disney monorail operator Austin Wuennenberg in July 2009. Austin was operating a monorail train during a night shift, and was killed when the train he was operating collided with another train. Unfortunately, Austin was not the only Disney employee to lose his life over the summer. In August, stunt performers from two separate Disney shows, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and Pirates of the Caribbean - Captain Jack’s Pirate Tutorial, each lost their lives. Anislav Varbanov suffered a head injury while rehearsing for the Indiana Jones show, an injury which later claimed his life. Fellow stuntman Mark Priest broke his neck while performing in the Pirates of the Caribbean show. Mark ended up losing his life several days later.

Employees were also injured at other Florida theme parks over the summer. In July, an employee was seriously injured after being struck head-on by the Dueling Dragons roller coaster at Universal Studios in Orlando. The employee, who was doing a safety-inspection of the ride, was unresponsive after the accident and suffered multiple fractures to his head. At Tampa’s Busch Gardens, an employee was injured when he fell 35 feet from the Skyride and landed on his back. The employee suffered a vertebrae injury, but fortunately was not paralyzed as a result. With three employee deaths at Disney and several injuries at other theme parks during the summer months alone, one can’t help but wonder if the safety regulations in place are sufficient to protect employees. I have written consistently about the need for federal oversight of the parks for the protection of visitors. Now it seems that employees increasingly need protection too.

For my posting on theme park injuries during the second quarter of 2009, please see my blog entry at: http://orlando.injuryboard.com/defective-and-dangerous-products/injuries-on-disney-rides-and-attractions-second-quarter-2009.aspx?googleid=270352

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Another Worker Dies At Disney

Ed Normand — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 12:32:20 GMT

With the third employee death at Disney World in the past seven weeks, serious questions are being raised about the safety regulations in place at the Theme Parks in Florida. Attorney Ed Normand of the Orlando law firm of Wooten, Kimbrough, Gibson, Doherty and Normand, P.A. was recently interviewed on Fox News about this troubling pattern of employee deaths. His interview and discussion about the lack of government oversight at theme parks such as Disney World can be found at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/nahz8n

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Ed Normand

Governor Signs Bill Into Law: Employees Bring Your Concealed Weapons to Work

Mike Damaso — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:32:00 GMT

Charlie Crist, who most of us thought was doing a pretty good job as Florida's Governor, has just signed a bill into law that allows more than 500,000 of Florida's concealed-weapons permit holders to carry guns to work. However, they must keep them locked in their cars. This was totally expected and everyone presumed the law would be enacted - especially after Florida's "no duty to retreat" law a while back. This act of the Governor comes almost one year to the day after the Virginia Tech tragedy - where a mentally ill student gunned down more than 30 students in a classroom building on campus. This week, ABC Nightline reported a story about how a grassroots movement promoted by VT students is seeking to allow students the right to carry concealed weapons on campus.

With respect to the recent law passed in Florida, I understand that people want to exercise their second amendment right to bear arms (even though carrying around a concealed handgun to work and on college campuses probably does not reflect the intention of our founding fathers). What about the right of an employer to protect and control his or her business? What about the government and individual interest in public safety? But, in today's world, with terrorist attacks, wars, and drug-related violence, putting more guns out into society is not the answer. After all, if you need your gun at work to protect yourself, what good is it going to do when it is locked up in your car?

Full Article:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/orl-cfbriefs16_408apr16,0,1947863.story

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Mike Damaso