Woman thrown off ride at Hull Fair gets compensation

A woman who suffered a broken jaw when she was thrown from a ride at Hull Fair has been awarded a five-figure compensation payout.

Jade Harrison, 24, was riding the Airmaxx 360 ride at Hull Fair in 2019 when she was flung more than 10ft. She suffered cuts to her face, damage to her teeth and soft tissue damage to her thigh. During four days in hospital she had metal plates inserting in her face.

The nursery nurse said she suffered panic attacks and nightmares after the incident and needed psychological support and thousands of pounds worth of dental treatment.

A teenage boy also suffered minor injuries when he was hit by Jade in the incident.

Jade says she took legal action after being told in hospital that if a child had suffered the same accident, they would likely have died.

"There are too many cases of accidents at fairs and theme parks and when something like this happens there has to be full investigations and punishments," she said.

"That will hopefully lead to better safety standards and less incidents like what happened to me."

The ride's operator, Taylor’s Fun Fairs, did not dispute her claims that they had failed to adequately inspect the ride and that riders were left at risk.

The two parties reached an out-of-court settlement.

Jade said the incident had changed her life. She said: "I’m a different person now to that one that got on that ride back in 2019. Back then I had no fears and I was up for anything really, but now I am averse to anything that has an element of risk. That’s ok, I’ve adapted to that as I need to feel safe, but it limits what you can do with family and friends.

"Simple fun things like jumping off the rocks into the sea on holiday. I just wouldn’t do that anymore as I wouldn’t be able to get past the fear of hitting a rock or being badly injured. That is how my mindset has changed."

But following cognitive behavioural therapy she says she is on the road to recovery.

"I feel I’ve recovered well in the main and it certainly is not something which comes into my mind day to day any more," she said.

"I feel well health-wise and I’m happy. I’m quite a resilient person and so I don’t suffer with anxiety any more."

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