“The allegation is that [the plaintiff] gets on [the Swamp Fox] fine, and then gets off as a quadriplegic,” attorney Morgan Martin said. “It’s such a sad, sad day for that young man, who is just in horrible condition.”
A North Carolina woman has filed a lawsuit claiming that an accident at Family Kingdom Amusement Park left her husband paralyzed.
According to USA Today, the complaint was filed earlier this week in Horry County Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court. The plaintiffs are identified as Gangia Adhikari and her husband, Kuyl Sannyashi. Attorneys for the couple say that the accident occurred shortly after they boarded “the Swamp Fox Roller Coaster.”
“While riding the roller coaster as a result of the negligence, carelessness, recklessness, willfulness and wantonness of the Defendants, [the victim] suffered an acute injury to the spinal cord which caused quadriplegia,” the complaint claims.
The lawsuit names several defendants, including Family Kingdom Inc., Ocean Avenue Attractions LLC, and two individuals.
Attorneys for the family say that the theme park and its owners did not maintain the Swamp Fox to a reasonable standard, and failed to ensure that the ride was operating properly. Problems were purportedly either ignored or undetected, making it “extremely dangerous, more so than a typical roller coaster.”
“The allegation is that [the plaintiff] gets on [the Swamp Fox] fine, and then gets off as a quadriplegic,” attorney Morgan Martin said. “It’s such a sad, sad day for that young man, who is just in horrible condition.”
USA Today notes that Family Kingdom has faced similar claims in the past.
In 2019, for instance, a woman filed her own lawsuit against the park, saying that she was hurt riding the same roller coaster the year before. Her claim suggests that she sustained injuries after the roller coaster’s cars lifted off the track and slammed back down, worsening a pre-existing health condition.
The current owners of Family Kingdom have since issued a statement in response to the couple’s complaint, saying it is “disappointed” with the filing.
“We are disappointed to have been sued regarding an incident that is alleged to have occurred 20 months before we owned the park,” the statement said. “We cannot speak any further about this matter as litigation is pending.”
The “Swamp Fox,” adds USA Today, has been in operation since 1966. It was originally named the “Red Devil,” and measures up to 72 feet at its highest point.
“Over the years, the Swamp Fox underwent several renovations and upgrades to ensure a safe yet thrilling ride, solidifying its status as a classic wooden coaster despite the rise of modern steel coasters with advanced technology,” the park’s website says.
Adhikari and her husband are seeking compensation for a variety of damages.
Sources
Man paralyzed after riding 55-year-old roller coaster in South Carolina, suit claims
Wooden South Carolina amusement park roller coaster left man paralyzed: lawsuit
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