Universal Studios Loses $7.25 Million Injury Lawsuit
Theme park injuries are thankfully rare at places like Universal Studios.
Sadly, they occasionally happen, though, due to an unfortunate combination of bad luck and mechanical errors.
Photo: Universal Studios Hollywood
One such instance ended in tragedy in 2022. Now, the victim has successfully sued Universal Studios Hollywood.
Yes, Universal Studios just lost a $7.25 million lawsuit. Here’s what happened.
About Theme Park Injuries
Every three months, the state of Florida publishes the MOU Exempt Facilities Report.
That’s a somewhat misleading bureaucratic title that belies what the service actually does.
Photo: Universal Studios Hollywood
This is the theme park injury report for a given quarter, and it’s typically a mild update. Here’s a link to the most recent quarter.
Over the past 12 months, Universal reported a total of 19 injuries, which is less than two per month.
Most of them include modest symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and other forms of motion sickness.
There’s also the somewhat alarming description of “altered level of consciousness,” which I think you and I would describe as “passed out.”
Image: Universal
That’s part of the point here. Sometimes, a theme park downplays the severity of an injury.
Universal Studios has sadly gained an unpleasant reputation for this behavior after an incident where it incorrectly described an injury.
Photo: Volcano Bay
Someone suffered “back pain,” according to Universal, by which they meant “paralysis” due to a spinal injury.
You may think about this fact a bit more as you hear about the lawsuit.
Universal Loses in Court
According to the Orange County Register, here’s what just happened:
“A California federal jury unanimously awarded $7.25 million to Pamela Morrison on Feb. 14 for injuries sustained on the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey dark ride at the Hollywood theme park.”
Photo: Universal
The article notes that the victim received “$5 million for future damages, $2 million for past damages and $250,000 for future medical expenses.”
Law360 adds that “The jury found that the ride was dangerous and Universal Studios Hollywood was responsible for the crushed spine that Morrison suffered in a fall when exiting Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey in 2022.”
Photo; UO
So, yeah. That’s pretty grim. The victim couldn’t exit the popular Harry Potter attraction safely.
While trying to do so, the grandmother suffered a “crushed spine,” which shouldn’t have happened.
Photo: NBC via Getty Images
A Universal employee requested that Morrison leave the ride before it started.
While attempting to do so, the victim fell while disembarking from the moving sidewalk, which led to the grievous injury.
Universal officials didn’t comment about the lawsuit, and it’s currently unclear whether the company will appeal.
The lesson here is that you should always pay attention at a theme park, as seemingly innocent situations can cause serious injuries.
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Feature Photo: Universal Orlando
