The family of a 14-year-old boy who died after a fall from an amusement park ride in Florida filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Monday, April 25, alleging the operator and manufacturer were negligent.
The boy, Tyre Sampson, passed away on March 24 after falling through the gap between the seat and harness on the Orlando FreeFall amusement park ride at ICON Park.
In the suit, the family alleges the ride was “unreasonably dangerous” and that the boy’s death was directly caused by the negligence of ICON Park (the lessee of the space), the Slingshot Group (which owns and operates the attraction), Funtime Handles GmbH (the company that manufactured the ride) and Keator Construction (which built the ride), among several other businesses with various connections to the allegedly dangerous ride in question.
A statement from the family’s attorney alleges the “defendants had more than enough chances to enact safeguards, such as seatbelts, that could have prevented Tyre’s death,” and that their failure to do so “resulted in deadly consequences” for the boy and permanent trauma for his family.
The ride is advertised as the world’s tallest free-standing drop tower. On Tyre’s seat, the ride was operating despite his seat having a restraint opening almost twice as large as normal.
Amusement park lawsuits
Amusement park lawsuits can be complicated due to the sheer number of potential defendants and the various legal principles associated with them. However, they are common in Florida, given the wide variety of amusement parks located in the state.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident at such an amusement park and believe that park to be liable, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh to learn more about the steps you can take to recover compensation.