Smiler rollercoaster at Alton Towers - carriage collision

They kept it quiet about her losing a leg as they didn't want Paul McCartney pestering the poor girl.
 
In the military you sign up knowing injury or death is a possibility. You don't when buying a ticket to a theme park.

You never expect it though. In the same way you don't expect to be killed or maimed in a car accident but that is far more likely to happen. You know it is a risk. Alton Towers didn't follow procedure and the company that designed the roller coaster have some questions to answer. Millions just seems quite a contrast to other compensations. Looking at typical compensations the military one is actually much higher.
 
The military class loss of a single leg above the knee as a level 3 injury and is compensated £230,000. Millions would be quite a contrast.

This is completely different though. A friend of mine got 7 figures for a shattered leg, when someone else was negligent and structure collapsed and shattered his knee to the point he would forever need a walking stick. He would also come to the point they couldn't keep rebuilding his knee and would be requiring a chair or better off with an artificial leg. His knee was so damaged he could bend his leg the other way from the knee and it made me want to be sick.

He was in his 20's when it happened and admittedly unlike this girl he had a young family. Whatever she get's she's going to need it, I just hate that before we even heard the truth on her injuries the compo lawyers already circling.

I think Alton towers will pay 7 figures, they have to. Even if they could get away with less they probably should do the right thing and make sure they are all well looked after even just to play the PR right.
 

The military compensation is actually higher than compensations quoted for accidents. She is going to be looking at less than £200k it seems. Only pointing out facts and not supporting or opposing the compensation at all. Completely neutral.
 
This is completely different though. A friend of mine got 7 figures for a shattered leg, when someone else was negligent and structure collapsed and shattered his knee to the point he would forever need a walking stick. He would also come to the point they couldn't keep rebuilding his knee and would be requiring a chair or better off with an artificial leg. His knee was so damaged he could bend his leg the other way from the knee and it made me want to be sick.

He was in his 20's when it happened and admittedly unlike this girl he had a young family. Whatever she get's she's going to need it, I just hate that before we even heard the truth on her injuries the compo lawyers already circling.

I think Alton towers will pay 7 figures, they have to. Even if they could get away with less they probably should do the right thing and make sure they are all well looked after even just to play the PR right.
Alton towers certainly have a lot to lose over this. I heard it was completely empty there today.
 
the investigation has been concluded?

Not as far as I am aware. Roller coaster set off before other was back. Not procedure. Certainly not procedure to allow roller coaster to run with a stationary carriage on there.
 
Alton towers certainly have a lot to lose over this. I heard it was completely empty there today.

AT will settle out of court and the amounts will be confidential IMO.

Apparently if you went today you got a free ticket to go back later in the year.
 
Not as far as I am aware. Roller coaster set off before other was back. Not procedure. Certainly not procedure to allow roller coaster to run with a stationary carriage on there.

Not quite. The coaster can run with more than one car on track, just not within the same 'zone' of the track. If a car hasn't left a zone the systems should prevent another car entering that zone.

This system is not human controlled. The question here is whether this happened because the system failed, or because someone turned it off. One is a malfunction that is the responsibility of the manufacturer, the other is negligence on the part of the operator.
 
Although that's correct. That may be a failsafe, doesn't AT have a human policy of only allowing one on at a time ? Its not been confirmed
 
True. I don't think we have had details from the manufacturer yet have we? It could be that everything from the top of the initial climb to the end of the track is considered 1 single 'zone'.
 
My sister and her friend went to go on the smiler a few years or so back and while waiting in line a huge 1 foot by 2 inch bolt come off narrowly missing them as there was no net in the line where they were stood, could have killed them. Theres an article somewhere.

All they got was a couple of free stuff and the ride was shut for the day i think but them things meant to be tight.

I thought the coaster was computer controlled? should it have stopped after it realised another cart was on the track. I think no amount of money will compensate for their life changing injuries especially as she was a dancer and has had to have her leg amputated now aswell.
 
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The military class loss of a single leg above the knee as a level 3 injury and is compensated £230,000. Millions would be quite a contrast.

Wee bit of a difference losing your leg whilst serving your country in a military career than losing it whilst paying to be entertained at an amusement park.

And I say that with every respect to all our service men and woman who have come back from tours injured.
 
Alton towers certainly have a lot to lose over this. I heard it was completely empty there today.

5Live reported the opposite today. I imagine lot's of people stayed away but lots would also take advantage of less queues and as people said on 5 Live today the thinking would be that there was never a safer time to go.

But yes they can't do anything but pay whatever is required with no resistance when you take half a million per day. I think the head of merlin will have to be the first passenger on smiler.
 
Not quite. The coaster can run with more than one car on track, just not within the same 'zone' of the track. If a car hasn't left a zone the systems should prevent another car entering that zone.

This system is not human controlled. The question here is whether this happened because the system failed, or because someone turned it off. One is a malfunction that is the responsibility of the manufacturer, the other is negligence on the part of the operator.

That does depend if there is a human override to stop it which I suspect there is which means there is a human part too and hence certainly blame on AT at least.
 
Wee bit of a difference losing your leg whilst serving your country in a military career than losing it whilst paying to be entertained at an amusement park.

And I say that with every respect to all our service men and woman who have come back from tours injured.

Absolutely. From what I have seen typical compensation is actually less for accidents.
 
Not quite. The coaster can run with more than one car on track, just not within the same 'zone' of the track. If a car hasn't left a zone the systems should prevent another car entering that zone.

This system is not human controlled. The question here is whether this happened because the system failed, or because someone turned it off. One is a malfunction that is the responsibility of the manufacturer, the other is negligence on the part of the operator.

The way how things are run today, I wouldn't be surprised.

 
I think plenty of people on this forum would happily give up a leg for unlimited gaming time, but that's probably not how the general population feel.
 
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