ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – The parents of a 14-year-old Missouri boy who fell to his death from an Orlando amusement park ride in 2022 have won a $310 million judgment against the attraction’s Austrian builder. .
Late Thursday, an Orange County jury ordered manufacturer Funtime to pay Tire Sampson’s parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, $155 million each. He died on March 24, 2022, after falling 70 feet (21 meters) from the Orlando Freefall Ride at Icon Park. The trial lasted only one day because Funtime did not appear in court to defend himself.
Icon Park leases space on the ride to Orlando Slingshot, the ride’s owner and operator, and has already settled with Sampson’s family for an undisclosed amount.
“The jury’s decision confirms what we have been saying for years: Tire’s death was a case of clear negligence and putting safety over profit,” family attorneys Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson said in a statement. It was the result of not doing so.” “Vehicle manufacturers have failed in their duty to protect passengers, and (Thursday’s) results ensure they face the consequences.”
The family will now have to ask an Austrian court for an order to claim damages.
Funtime sent an email seeking comment to its headquarters on Friday, but did not receive a response. The company’s website shows it manufactures thrill rides that throw, drop, and spin passengers from great heights at high speeds, including attractions named Vomatron, Slingshot, and Chaos Pendle. has been done.
Sampson, a 6-foot-2-inch (1.9-meter) tall, 380-pound (172 kilogram) soccer star, had come to Orlando from the St. Louis area for spring break and was visiting the downtown amusement park with friends.
They participated in the Orlando Free Fall, which places 30 riders in seats attached to a tower, secures them with shoulder harnesses, and drops them from 430 feet (131 meters). Most drop rides did not have seat belts, which are an added safety measure.
Because of Sampson’s size, the harness did not lock properly and he was thrown from his seat when the brakes were applied 70 feet from the ground.
The parents argued that Orlando Slingshot and Funtime should have warned their son about the dangers of riding with someone his own height and failed to provide an adequate restraint system. Adding seat belts costs $660.
After the accident, the state ordered the attraction closed and it has never reopened. It is currently being demolished.
___
This version fixes that the ride is owned by Slingshot Group instead of Icon Park.
Copyright 2024 Associated Press. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
