Just How Safe Is That Zipline?

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Orland Park Personal Injury Lawyer

The activity of ziplining has soared in popularity over the past several years. Originally utilized by scientists and researchers exploring the dense jungles of Central and South America, ziplining has become fully mainstream, with many thrill seekers seeing it as a “safe” alternative to flying activities, such as hand gliding. As the cold weather sets in across the Midwest, many traveling to warmer destinations for the holidays may have the opportunity to clip on and try ziplining for the first time.

What is Ziplining?

Ziplining works like this: a person wears a harness which is then connected to by pulley system to a cable which runs high above the ground. According to statistics, there are more than 700 ziplines worldwide, and more than 200 of those lines are right here in the United States.

With more and more people venturing onto ziplines, there have been thousands of people who have been injured while participating in the activity. On study puts the number of people injured in ziplining accidents at more than 17,000 in the past 16 years. However, the majority of those injuries occurred just in the past four years.

Injury Research

The study, which is the first national study which has examined ziplining, was conducted by researchers from the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The research team analyzed data collected by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The data was from non-fatal accidents which had occurred between the years of 1997 and 2012.

To highlight just how much the number of injuries are increasing, the study found that in the last year, 2012, there were more than 3,600 people who visited and were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries sustained in ziplining. Almost all of the injuries – more than 90 percent – happened between April and October, with the most number of injuries occurring in July.

Most of the injuries were sustained in falls – 77 percent. Thirteen percent occurred in collisions, either with a tree or non-moving structure.

The most common injuries sustained were broken bones, with almost half of people seeking treatment suffering from at least one broken bone. Bruises were the second most common, along with sprains, both at 15 percent. Seven percent of victims suffered either a concussion or some other type of head injury. More than 10 percent of those seeking treatment were ultimately admitted to the hospital for their injuries.

The authors of the study say that this data shows that there is clearly a need for improved safety regulations regarding the activity. The ziplining industry's response disagrees with the study’s conclusion, with some industry representatives claiming that ziplining is safer than driving a motor vehicle.

If you have been injured in ziplining accident, contact an experienced Orland Park personal injury attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against the zipline operators for your pain and loss. Call 708-966-2408 today for your free initial consultation.

Sources:

http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/news-room-articles/new-study-finds-zipline-related-injuries-are-rapidly-increasing?contentid=147840

http://www.zoomziplines.com/en/turkey/what-is-ziplining

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/51d8b22f35cd43e8872b5489e42d895a/zip-line-popularity-soars-along-injuries-study-finds