In June, Dawn Jankovic died after losing consciousness on The Voyage roller coaster at Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari in Indiana. The 47-year-old Ohio woman was unresponsive when the coaster returned to the station. A coroner’s report released in July states Jankovic died from severe internal blood loss, a torn artery, and force from the roller coaster.
No one likes to think about it, but amusement parks account for thousands of injuries each year. Unfortunately, some die from these injuries. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries at an amusement park, reach out to the Pittsburgh amusement park accident attorneys at Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman P.C.
A tragic ride
Once Dawn Jankovic was found unconscious on the wooden roller coaster, Holiday World emergency medical technicians treated her before an ambulance transported her to Memorial Hospital in Jasper, where she died.
In the coroner’s autopsy report, Jankovic’s official cause of death was listed as exsanguination and avulsion of the right internal thoracic artery. The roller coaster’s force caused an avulsion of the right internal thoracic artery. Put simply, she had “severe blood loss internally.”
Jankovic’s 17-year-old son Gunnar Merker was with her. They were part of the coaster community, a group of roller coaster enthusiasts. The two bonded over coasters, traveled to different parks, riding every coaster they could find.
“She loved going to different places, parks, and all that,” Gunnar told the press. He added that before her sudden death, she was “fine the whole entire day.”
A spokesperson for the amusement park offered a press release on the day Jankovic died, stating, “A full inspection of the roller coaster has been performed, and it was determined that the ride operated as it was intended to.”
They closed the ride for the rest of the day out of respect for the deceased and her family.
To bring Jankovic home and give her a proper funeral, a GoFundMe page was created. The campaign’s initial goal was $4,000. They ended up raising more than $13,000.
It is usually assumed that injuries occurring at amusement parks and on fixed-site rides like roller coasters are often underreported. In a 2018 report, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) found the likelihood of dying on a roller coaster is roughly one in 16 million.
Even though the odds are low, it does not mean they are not equally tragic.
When should I contact a lawyer?
According to reports from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), about 335 million Americans visit amusement parks yearly. These visits account for approximately 30,000 injuries. These numbers are most likely an underestimation of the true statistics because reporting requirements and regulations differ from state to state.
Our skilled and experienced team looks forward to working on your behalf, investigating your case, guiding you through the claim to ultimately securing the compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another party at an amusement park, contact the Pittsburgh premises liability attorneys at Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman P.C. for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 888-988-9467.