Ice skating bridges two worlds. Some men and women take lessons for years to learn skating techniques and move gracefully on the ice and elementary children can pay a few dollars to rent some skates and wobble out onto the cold slippery rink. While ice skating is a fun activity, it is also a dangerous one. Children are not required to wear helmets or pads when skating for recreational purposes. Also, these children are normally given low-quality skates when they rent at an ice rink, which may not fit properly. One improper twist can cause a broken ankle, and cause the skater to fall onto the hard ice.

In Irvine, California, one family is aware of just how devastating an ice skating injury can be. That is because their wife and mother was killed at a skating rink when she fell and hit her head on the ice. This mom was spending an afternoon with her children at the ice skating rink when she fell backward in a puddle of melted water. Her family sued the skating rink for $10 million, saying that they were negligent and did not provide a safe environment for skating. The personal injury attorney representing this heart-broken family says that the lack of on-site medical personnel contributed to this woman's death.

The mother had to wait 20 minutes before the ambulance and fire department arrived at the skating rink, and by then it was too late to save her. She perished two days later in a nearby hospital. Had there been an emergency team standing by, this woman might be alive today. The attorney also claimed that the skating rink was negligent because they did not provide safety precautions for their customers. They did not provide their patrons with any training, and did not have supervisors ready to aid in a medical emergency. In fact, according to the local Register, the ice skating rink staff had just been called off of the ice when the emergency occurred.

Officials at the rink argue that helmets were available for rent, and that there were safety monitors on hand during the public skating sessions. They also combated the prosecuting attorney's claim that the rink should not have been open during weather that was warm enough to melt the ice by saying that they were resurfacing the ice every hour to keep the rink free of slippery water puddles. While this is an extreme example, it shows the dangers that accompany a day at the ice skating rink. Many people do not know how to ice skate when they first hit the rink with their friends. Some people will try to impress their comrades by skating faster or trying daring tricks, but this can heighten the chance of a devastating fall.

Often recreational ice skaters will lose their balance and suffer large bruises or scrapes. The blades on the bottom of an ice skate are a further danger. Sometimes skaters can collide or run over each other, causing serious lacerations from the sharp metal on the bottom of the shoes. If a skater hits his or her head, it can cause a concussion. Loose skates can result in a sprained or broken ankle, and all sorts of falls result in broken bones or torn muscles. Ice skaters are five times more likely to suffer head and face injuries than inline skaters or roller bladers. Children are especially vulnerable to these injuries. Once hospital reports that they treat an average of 10,600 children between five and fourteen for ice skating injuries every year. Ice skating rinks may be responsible for your injury if the damage is a result of some sort of negligence. Inattentive staff, faulty rental equipment, or lacks of safety precautions are all possible reasons that you could file a personal injury lawsuit.