How Experts Investigate Theme Park Accidents: Engineering, Human Factors, and Biomechanics

An Interview with John T. Woscek, A.R.I., P.E., and Rose Figueroa, PhD, CHFP

Amusement ride accident investigations integrate many fields, such as mechanical engineering, human factors, biomechanics, and safety engineering, to determine what failed, why it failed, and whether an incident was foreseeable and preventable.

Amusement parks and attractions are designed to deliver excitement, but when incidents occur, understanding why requires applicable expertise and many times more than a single lens.

At Rimkus, we have a unique team of thought leaders who, when applicable, can integrate human factors, biomechanics, mechanical engineering, and safety to investigate and document complex indoor and outdoor attraction and amusement ride accidents (including devices; water rides, public pools, etc.), and support litigation, insurance claims, and risk-mitigation efforts worldwide.

In this Q&A, we interviewed John T. Woscek, Mechanical Engineer and Associate Ride Inspector (A.R.I.), and Dr. Rose Figueroa, Board-Certified Human Factors Professional (CHFP) and Safety and Biomechanics expert, who shared how combining engineering with human-centered analysis can lead to deeper insights—and stronger outcomes for clients—when analyzing amusement-related accidents, failures, and injuries.

Understanding Amusement Ride Failures: Where Do You Start?

John T. Woscek, A.R.I., P.E.: When we’re brought into a case, the first step is understanding how the ride should function. We analyze roller coasters, water rides, go-karts, dark rides—you name it. These systems are complex, and failures are not always obvious from surface-level observations. We evaluate whether the ride was operating as designed and whether any mechanical, electrical, or maintenance-related issues contributed.

Rose Figueroa, PhD, CHFP: Even when a mechanical issue is initially identified as the potential root cause, the full story often involves human interaction with the system—riders, operators, inspectors, and designers.

In general, incidents may involve mechanical factors, rider behavior, or operator actions—or a combination of all three. When applicable, I consider the full system, and evaluate whether the incident was foreseeable and preventable, given human capabilities, limitations, and the design of such system.

To learn more, here is a peer-reviewed paper co-authored by Dr. Figueroa and presented at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society’s Annual Conference: Human Factors, Ergonomics, and Biomechanical Engineering Approaches to Incidents involving Amusement Rides.

How Do You Support Operators, Attorneys, and Insurers in Ride-Related Claims?

Woscek: Our clients often need answers to critical questions, such as:

• What failed?
• Did the system meet industry standards?
• Were maintenance and operations appropriate?

We do a thorough analysis of inspection records, maintenance logs, and operational procedures to determine whether the park met its obligations.

Figueroa: I complement that by analyzing human performance and decision-making. For example:

• Was the system of information (i.e., warnings, manuals, labels, scripts, etc.) sufficient?
• Could the operator realistically detect and respond to hazards?
• Did the rider understand the risks and required behaviors?

From a biomechanics and kinematics (human movement) perspective, I also consider factors such as whether the described movements and injuries are biomechanically consistent with the reported event, or if the described movements are consistent with expected human kinematics.

When Applicable, What Makes a Multidisciplinary Approach So Powerful?

Figueroa: Amusement and Attractions are socio-technical systems. Integrating the assessment of the engineering design, human movement, behavior, and decision-making, and the information and tools available to the people involved at that time, whenever feasible, leads to a well-rounded incident investigation and thorough documentation.

What Role Do Advanced Technologies Play in Your Investigations?

Figueroa: Good understanding of capabilities and limitations of available technology is a gamechanger. My hands-on experience with many tools, equipment, and technology—plus 3D modeling—leads me to not only perform thorough rapid response documentation and investigations but also opens the potential to revisit virtually after leaving a site, and/or to provide physics-based demonstratives as needed. 

For instance, I have used drones and 3D scanning to document major incident scenes hours after an accident occurs. I have also utilized motion capture to document and quantify how a patron may interact with the objects, a ride, or an environment—capturing joint motion, acceleration, and position in real-world environments. See the peer-reviewed paper titled Applications of Motion Capture in Amusement Ride and Devices Assessments: Exploring Its Role in Evaluating Rider Interaction, Comfort, and Safety as a sample of this type of work.

Woscek: The tools that Rose mentioned also allow us to reconstruct incidents and communicate findings clearly to attorneys, insurers, and juries. That clarity is invaluable, especially in complex and high-stakes cases.

What Evidence Should Be Preserved After an Amusement Ride Incident?

Woscek: Determining the most important evidence depends on what is in dispute. However, in general, preserving the whole ride, the subject area, and key components in their post-incident condition is ideal. If that’s not possible, critical evidence includes:

• Relevant surveillance video
• Incident reports
• Maintenance and inspection records
• Operator logs
• Photo documentation of the scene and the relevant components

Figueroa: I would add that human-centered evidence is equally important—what the rider perceived, what the operator knew, and what information was available at the time. These factors often determine whether an incident was preventable. A few examples to add are:

• Preserving all video footage in which the patron appears throughout the park (beyond the recording of the subject incident), if available
• Resting positions and relative positions with respect to objects that are not likely to change over time
• Relevant manuals, instructions, scripts, and training materials  
• Information available to patrons, via the website, park brochures, audio-visual, social media, etc.
• Current state of warnings and signages
• If it’s an accessibility or rider eligibility-related case, relevant materials specifically related to services and information tailored to patrons with disabilities

The earlier this information is secured, the more likely it is to translate to a stronger and streamlined analysis.

How Do Standards and Regulations Factor into Your Analysis?

Woscek: For Amusement and Attractions-related incidents, we consider relevant regulations and standards, such as ASTM F24 (the ASTM International committee governing amusement ride safety), which govern the design, manufacturing, operation, and maintenance of amusement rides in many jurisdictions. When we assess an occupational incident, other entities are also relevant, such as OSHA requirements, which also guide safety practices, especially during maintenance.

Figueroa: John and I are both active members of relevant organizations such as International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), as well as committees under ASTM F24, because more than staying attuned, we feel it is our duty to stay current and contribute to safety standard developments, especially with all the exposure we get to different types of incidents.

Note that relevant standards are valuable, but they are only part of the picture. When I perform my investigations, I consider not only whether systems were compliant but also whether they were usable, understandable, and aligned with human capabilities and limitations.

What Are the Most Common Contributors to Amusement Ride Incidents?

Figueroa: Incidents typically involve one or more of the following:

• Mechanical or structural issues
• Rider behavior (intentional or unintentional)
• Operator performance

Importantly, even mechanical failures often have human elements, such as inspection, maintenance, or decision-making processes behind them.

Woscek: That’s exactly why a multidisciplinary approach is essential whenever feasible—we’re rarely looking at a single point of failure, and it expands the analysis to look at it from different perspectives as we have different (but complementary) education, experience, expertise, and scopes.

Why Choose Rimkus for Amusement Ride Investigations?

Woscek: Rose and I have a strong engineering foundation and direct knowledge, and decades of experience covering scopes that fall in multiple domains, safety, accessibility, human factors, and kinematics (human movement), 3D modeling, and mechanical engineering.  

We have extensive forensic experience, including litigation matters in which we serve as expert witnesses, supporting clients in permanent and temporary theme park claims, ranging from reported mechanical or electrical failures of ride systems to injuries sustained during the enjoyment or operation of an attraction.  We also cover related domains, including indoor and outdoor playground attractions, sports venues, sporting equipment, water rides, arcade systems, and more.

Figueroa: While many investigations may focus on mechanical failure alone, when I’m retained for human factors and safety scope, my scope often includes considerations of the full system, including:

• Rider behavior and decision-making
• Operator performance and training
• System of information available to them
• Relevant human interaction with ride systems, restraints, and environments
• Communication elements such as warnings, signage, and instructions

… as my expertise is well-suited to integrate human factors/ergonomics (HF/E), safety, and biomechanical engineering approaches.

Our multidisciplinary expertise allows us to answer the full question—not just what failed, but why it failed, how it affected people, and whether it was preventable. That combination is especially critical in high-profile, newsworthy incidents, where clarity, credibility, and scientific rigor matter most.

Connect with Our Amusement and Attraction Experts

If you are an operator, insurer, or legal counsel navigating an incident involving a theme park, cruise line, water ride, or other amusement or attractions environment, our team is ready to help. Contact John T. Woscek, A.R.I., P.E., or Rose Figueroa, Ph.D., CHFP, to discuss your matter or request a consultation.

John T. Woscek, A.R.I., P.E.

Senior Consultant

John Woscek is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and certified Associate Ride Inspector (A.R.I.) through Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers, International (AIMS International), with more than 15 years of experience in mechanical engineering, failure analysis, and forensic investigation across the amusement park and forensic engineering industries. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from California State University, Fullerton, and is a registered Professional Engineer in California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Prior to joining Rimkus, Mr. Woscek conducted failure analysis for attractions at the Disneyland Resort, investigating downtime events, determining root causes, and leading maintenance crews during major refurbishment projects. His hands-on experience spans roller coasters, dark rides, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, chain drives, variable frequency drives, motors, marine equipment, and fluid dynamics systems.

In his forensic practice, Mr. Woscek investigates mechanical failures in amusement park attraction vehicles and systems, playground and sporting equipment, and related venues. He serves on ASTM International’s Committee F24 for Amusement Rides and Devices and Committee F08 on Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces, and Facilities. He has also lectured at California State University, Fullerton, teaching failure analysis and machine design.

Rose Figueroa, Ph.D., CHFP

Practice Leader, Life Sciences

Dr. Rose Figueroa is a Board-Certified Human Factors Professional specializing in human factors, biomechanics, and safety, with forensic experience spanning amusement and entertainment venues, occupational and industrial settings, transportation, railroads, maritime, and sports and athletics. She holds a B.S. in industrial engineering from the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez and both an M.S.E. and Ph.D. in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan, with specialization in human factors/ergonomics (HF/E), safety, and biomechanics.

Dr. Figueroa’s work in amusement and attractions matters encompasses scopes such as rider behavior and decision-making; operator performance; warnings and signage placement and adequacy; accessibility, reasonable accommodations, and rider eligibility; and the biomechanical analysis of operator or rider interactions with ride systems and environments. She has utilized motion capture technology in amusement ride assessments and has published and presented her technical findings worldwide.

Dr. Figueroa serves as elected President of the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE), as an elected member of the Executive Council of HFES, as an Adjunct Professor at Clemson University, and as an active member of ASTM International’s Committee F24 for Amusement Rides and Devices, and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). She often serves as a workshop facilitator, keynote speaker, and guest lecturer.

Published April 8, 2026.

This blog post is intended to provide general information and insights into prevailing industry practices. It is not intended to constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal, technical, or professional advice. The content does not replace consultation with a qualified expert or professional regarding the specific facts and circumstances of any particular matter.