73 Injuries Reported at Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando Resulting In At Least 9 Lawsuits
Last week, we here at Universal Parks Blog reported that Universal Orlando’s water park Volcano Bay would be changing its schedule going into the Fall and would now only be open 5 days a week (with the park staying dark on Tuesdays & Thursdays.) Today the park is in the news again. This time the Orlando Sentinel is taking a closer look at the injuries sustained by guests on Volcano Bay’s water rides! As we previously mentioned, over 73 injury claims have been filed since the park first opened its gates three years ago!
One insurance company is arguing that it shouldn’t have to pay money for injuries at Volcano Bay. Out of these claims, at least 9 guests have sued Universal including James Bowen from New York who was paralyzed on a water slide last year. There was also another guest from South Florida who needed a penile implant after suffering a pelvis injury back in 2017.
(PRNewsFoto/Universal Orlando Resort)
Orlando attorney Varum Ramnarine told the Sentinel, “For them to have this many claims in a short period of time is troubling.” Ramnarine whose represents a local college student that was injured said, “It’s a brand new water park.”
“Not every injury results in a claim … These are just the claims that are reported. Who is to know about the stuff that doesn’t get reported?”
It should be noted that Volcano Bay is one of the busiest theme parks in the world and has welcomed over 5 million visitors since May 2017. Admiral Insurance Co. who insures the Canadian water slide designer ProSlide Technology who were responsible for many of Volcano Bay’s rides filed a lawsuit last month against ProSlide and Universal asking for the courts to declare that the insurance company is not responsible for covering Volcano Bay claims.
A representative from Admiral said, “Universal waited years to notify ProSlide or Admiral of the claims,” Admiral’s lawsuit said. The insurer went on to argue that Admiral is only responsible for covering claims 2 years after the park opened and that window has since expired. Professor Stephen Halpert, a law professor from the University of Mimi told the Sentinel, “It’s a skirmish between deep pockets … over which insurance company is going to pay the bill.” He added, “This is very typical behavior by an insurance company that thinks there’s a reason not to pay the claims.”
Most of the claims involved incidents that occurred on the Kala & Tai Nui Serpentine Body Slides, Maku Puihi Round Raft Rides and Ko’okiri Body Plunge. Here’s a snapshot of those that filed suit according to a piece appearing in the Orlando Sentinel.
Julio Garcia Tellado – A Miami-Dade County resident visited on opening weekend in 2017. He rode the Tai Nui Slide. At the end of the ride his backside struck the pool floor. In a court deposition Tellado said that he felt extreme pain that left him unable to walk and he was admitted to the hospital. Tellado fractured his pelvis, tore an abdominal muscle and hurt his lower back. Due to swelling he also need to receive an inflatable penile prosthesis.
Irene Ramos – Reports that she was originally concerned about going on the Maku Puihi raft which her and her partner were asked to ride with two other guests who weighed more than they did. During the first big loop in the slide Ramos fell backward and slammed her head on the side. In her suit she is asking for $30,000 in damages. Ramos said that she is now left with headaches, dizziness and memory loss. As a college student, this is impacting her studies.
13-Year Old – The report in the Sentinel also reveals that a 13-year old girl from New Jersey flipped off the Maku Puihi ride back in August 2017 and became trapped under the raft which weighed 200 lbs. She lost consciousness while in the water before being rescued by a lifeguard.
Erik Herrera – Sped down head first on a matt in Punga Racers, while passing the jets at the end of the ride the mat hit him in the face. During the incident Herrera’s neck snapped back and he ended up paralyzed and required rescuing. Herrera said after returning home he suffered from sharp head pains and nausea.
In these lawsuits, the insurer of the company that build the slides seems to be at odds with ProSlide and Universal arguing that they should not have to pay-out on claims because Universal did not make the company aware of the claims in a timely fashion.
We should know more about the suits in the weeks to come so keep following along with MickeyBlog for further news and updates. You can also check out the original article from the Orlando Sentinel here which goes into great detail regarding the each of the suits filed.
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Source: Orlando Sentinel
