Find an amusement park injury lawyer in Tucson: fair rides, park rides and waivers
Rides in Tucson include the carnival at the Pima County Fair and the rides at Old Tucson. Arizona law requires a ride inspection at least once a year and sets insurance minimums that start at $1 million for bodily injury. Injury records go to the city or county that took the permit. A suit goes to Pima County Superior Court on West Congress Street and is due within 2 years.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (19)
Which Tucson rides does Arizona's ride law cover?
Arizona's ride article has one big gap. Bounce houses and other inflated devices are not covered.
Two places many Tucson families go are the Pima County Fair and Old Tucson. The fair's carnival is run with Ray Cammack Shows, a partner for nearly 30 years. Old Tucson lists a stagecoach, antique cars, a train and carnival rides. Federal consumer product law can also reach rides that are not fixed to a site.
What must a ride owner do under Arizona law?
| Duty | What the law says |
|---|---|
| Inspection | At least once a year, by an insurer, its contractor or a local inspector |
| Insurance | $1 million bodily injury and $500,000 property, or $2 million combined |
| Injury records | Serious injury records kept at least two years |
| Where records go | To the city or county with the permit application |
| Who can see them | Limited to officers and enforcement officials |
| Enforcement | Cities and counties may enforce the article |
We found no Tucson or Pima County page that says which office holds ride permits or injury files. Ask both the City and the county, because the state law only says the records go with the permit application.
Who pays if you are hurt on a ride in Tucson?
- The company running the ride in Tucson, through the insurance the state requires.
- The fair, park or land owner, if it let an unsafe ride run or ignored a problem.
- The maker or a repair shop, if a part or restraint failed.
- Another guest, with Arizona splitting fault by percent.
You may have signed a waiver at the gate or online. Do not assume it ends your claim. Under the Arizona Constitution a jury decides what a signed release is worth, so a Tucson ride company cannot treat the waiver as the end of the case.
What should you do right after a ride injury in Tucson?
- Get medical care. For a serious injury, Banner University Medical Center Tucson at 1625 N. Campbell Ave is a state-designated Level I center.
- Tell the ride operator and event staff. At the Pima County Fair midway or at Old Tucson, ask staff for the incident report number and a copy.
- Photograph the ride, the restraint, the ride name and the company name on the equipment.
- Collect names and phone numbers of witnesses. Keep the ticket or wristband.
- Do not sign a statement or a release for the company or its insurer before talking to a lawyer.
- Ask the City of Tucson and Pima County permit offices which one took the ride permit.
How long do you have to sue after a ride injury in Tucson?
For a Tucson ride run by a private company, generally 2 years. If a public body ran the event or owned the land, a notice of claim is due in 180 days, and the suit follows within a year of any denial.
For a child, the clock stops until age 18. Under probate Rule 53, a child's ride-injury settlement is not binding until a judge signs off.
Questions
Does a bounce house count as a ride under the state law?
No. Inflatable devices are outside that article. A claim can still be made on other grounds.
Who inspects carnival rides?
At least once a year, an insurer, its contractor or a local inspector.
Can I get the ride's injury records?
Not easily. They are limited to officers and enforcement officials. Ask a lawyer how to get them.
I signed a waiver at the fair. Can I still sue?
Maybe. A jury decides the effect of a written release in Arizona.
Amusement park injury in Tucson? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (19)
- Pima County Fair, Carnival, checked 2026-11-09. “Ray Cammack Shows, Inc. has been a partner of the Pima County Fair for nearly 30 years!”
- Old Tucson, Things To Do, checked 2026-11-09. “Hop aboard a stagecoach, cruise in an antique car, ride the train, and enjoy carnival rides for the whole family.”
- A.R.S. 44-1799.63, checked 2026-11-09. “Have the amusement ride inspected at least once a year by an insurer, a person with whom the insurer has contracted or an amusement ride inspector provided by a municipality or county”
- A.R.S. 44-1799.63, checked 2026-11-09. “in an amount of not less than one million dollars for bodily injury and five hundred thousand dollars for property damage per occurrence or in an amount of two million dollars per occurrence for a combined single limit”
- A.R.S. 44-1799.63, checked 2026-11-09. “A copy of these records shall be provided to the municipality or county at the time of application for a permit”
- Pima County Superior Court, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “110 West Congress Street”
- A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
- A.R.S. 44-1799.63, checked 2026-11-09. “Maintain for a period of at least two years accurate records of serious injuries actually caused by the amusement ride”
- A.R.S. 44-1799.63, checked 2026-11-09. “The injury records are not subject to public inspection except upon demand of a municipal or county peace officer or enforcement official.”
- Phelps v. Firebird Raceway (Ariz. 2005), checked 2026-11-09. “applies to an express contractual assumption of risk. We hold that it does.”
- A.R.S. 44-1799.61, checked 2026-11-09. “Inflated devices and elements.”
- 15 U.S.C. 2052, checked 2026-11-09. “which is customarily controlled or directed by an individual who is employed for that purpose and who is not a consumer with respect to such device, and which is not permanently fixed to a site”
- A.R.S. 44-1799.62, checked 2026-11-09. “Administer and enforce this article for amusement rides in their respective jurisdictions.”
- A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
- Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “1625 N. Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719 11/11/24 11/11/27”
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
- A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
- A.R.S. § 12-502, checked 2026-11-08. “the period of such disability shall not be deemed a portion of the period limited for commencement of the action”
- Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure, Rule 53, checked 2026-11-09. “no settlement of a claim brought on behalf of a minor or an adult in need of protection is binding on the minor or the adult in need of protection unless it is approved by a judicial officer.”