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SeaWorld Orlando’s Ride Incident and What It Reveals About Florida’s Theme Park Safety Gap

People with their hands in the air on the Mako Roller Coaster at SeaWorld

Michael Damaso / 03-09-2026 / Theme park accidents

At Wooten, Kimbrough, Damaso, and Dennis, P.A., we have been helping injured Floridians pursue fair compensation since 1966. Our tourist injury attorneys have seen firsthand how difficult it can be to hold large theme parks accountable, and the regulatory framework surrounding Florida’s biggest parks is a significant part of why. Understanding how that system works […]

Thomas Dennis / 11-14-2024 / Theme park accidents

Theme parks are a popular destination for families and thrill-seekers, offering fun, excitement, and entertainment. However, for some visitors, their experience takes a turn for the worse when they suffer from food poisoning due to contaminated meals. While foodborne illnesses at theme parks may not be as common as other injuries, they can have serious […]

Thomas Dennis / 10-28-2024 / Theme park accidents

A trip to a waterpark should be an enjoyable experience, but for some, it can take a dangerous turn. If you’ve suffered chemical burns due to excessive chlorine levels, you may have grounds to file an injury claim. Waterpark operators are responsible for maintaining safe conditions, and when negligence results in harm, victims have the […]

Thomas Dennis / 08-13-2024 / Theme park accidents

A visit to a Florida theme park is meant to be a day of excitement, laughter, and unforgettable memories with your family. But when a child is allowed on a ride they’re not tall enough for and ends up hurt, that dream day can quickly become a nightmare. The pain of seeing your child in […]

Thomas Dennis / 05-13-2024 / Theme park accidents

Central Florida is home to several colossal amusement parks, drawing millions of tourists every year. Unfortunately, these parks are not free of hazards, and injuries occur all too often on rides. After an amusement park injury, it can be challenging to determine liability on your own, especially as you focus on healing. Depending on the […]

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Thomas Dennis / 09-24-2020 / Theme park accidents

Tragedy occurred at another Orlando theme park, ICON Park, when a 21-year-old worker fell to his death while inspecting the park’s StarFlyer attraction. The incident happened before the park opened early Monday morning and is being investigated by Orange County authorities. The StarFlyer is a 450-foot-tall swing ride at ICON Park. It originally opened in […]

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Thomas Dennis / 09-17-2020 / Theme park accidents

Orange Circuit Judge Approves Punitive Damages Being Sought in Lawsuit Against Universal Orlando Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay has come under fire due to injuries sustained by park visitors on its water slide attractions. Since the water park opened three years ago, 73 injury claims have been filed against Volcano Bay. Despite these claims, Universal Orlando’s […]

Safety Concerns at Universal Volcano Bay

Thomas Dennis / 08-06-2020 / Theme park accidents

It has been revealed in court documents that Universal Orlando theme park engineers knew why so many guests were getting injured on Punga Racers at Volcano Bay. Riders were going at speeds that were way too fast on the water slide, not leaving enough time for people to slow down at the ride’s end. The […]

Thomas Dennis / 07-30-2020 / Theme park accidents

At least 115 park guests have reported being injured on the popular water slide attraction, Punga Racers, at Universal Orlando’s Volcano Bay, according to court documents recently released in an ongoing Orlando personal injury case against Universal. This information has come to light following a lawsuit filed by a park guest from New York who […]

Thomas Dennis / 03-03-2020 / Theme park accidents

Serious injuries have been recently reported at Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, including electrical shock, paralysis, brain injuries and near drownings. A park guest reported being injured when she was visiting Volcano Bay on June 2, 2019. She said she was shocked due to the park’s electrical system malfunctioning that day and has filed […]

Thomas Dennis / 01-15-2020 / Theme park accidents

Visitors at Santa’s Winter Wonderland at the Waterford Lakes Town Center witnessed a frightening event last month after a 37-year-old man was pinned between a claw carnival ride. The injured man was a worker who fell from a ladder during a pre-operative check of the ride. He was freed before paramedics arrived and was transported […]

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Thomas Dennis / 10-21-2019 / Theme park accidents

Last week Disney’s Skyliner gondola transportation system malfunctioned, leaving passengers stranded in the air for hours. Now more details have emerged, as the 911 Call tapes have been released to the public. The release of these tapes comes at the same time the gondola transportation system is back open to the public. Here is one […]

Thomas Dennis / 06-04-2018 / Theme park accidents

Looking over the quarterly injury reports from the Orlando area parks for the last year, there are about five to 10 injuries each quarter across all the parks, with injuries rising in the last quarter of the year due to holiday travel. The report defines an injury as any incident that occured on a […]

Thomas Dennis / 05-04-2018 / Theme park accidents

When you plan to visit Orlando, you’re thinking fun in the sun and gallivanting through the many theme parks ride hopping. Over 250 million people attend theme parks each year. With this many people moving through the usually crowded parks, accidents are bound to happen. That fun can turn detrimental. Whether you are from Florida […]

Thomas Dennis / 10-10-2013 / Consumer Safety

If you caught the morning news today, you probably saw a short video and reference to Universal Orlando’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster. Last night 12 passengers on the coaster were stuck for more than two hours near the top of the coaster’s first climb. Today, we’d like to discuss what happened. According to […]

Thomas Dennis / 10-09-2013 / Consumer Safety

Halting the joys of a day at the park for nearly 12 guests the Rip Ride Rockit Roller Coaster at Universal Studios Orlando has been stuck at the top of its arch for nearly two hours as of this posting. The Universal guests stuck at a nearly 90° angle just below the peak of the […]

Thomas Dennis / 08-17-2013 / Auto Accidents

A tragic accident occurred yesterday on Disney property, leading many to be concerned over the safety of the theme park operations. A female Orlando resident, passed away yesterday when her vehicle collided with a Disney Magical Express bus near the Epcot theme park. It is unclear how the accident occurred, however reports from the Florida Highway Patrol indicate […]

Thomas Dennis / 08-02-2013 / Consumer Safety

Details are slim about who was injured and how on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket roller coaster in Universal Park Orlando yesterday. The only information released by the park is that the rider was female, the injury was minor, and that after treatment she was released back into the park. This minimal information is probably […]

Thomas Dennis / 07-22-2013 / Dangerous

Little did she know, but Rosy Esperaza’s first trip to Six Flags, would also be her last. This past weekend, Rosy Esperaza lost her life while riding The Texas Giant, one of the monstrous rides at Six Flags Over Texas, and what they coin as the “the world’s steepest drop!” Rosy Esperaza was seated alongside […]

Thomas Dennis / 10-21-2011 / Consumer Safety

Roller coasters and other rides that will be at the new Legoland Florida them park, scheduled to open in Polk County in October, will not be subject to state safety inspections, according to the Orlando Sentinel. State officials agreed to allow Legoland to qualify for a 22-year-old exemption that was originally intended for Disney World […]

Thomas Dennis / 09-02-2011 / Theme park accidents

Millions of people visit Florida amusement parks each year. Disney World and Universal Studios are some of the most popular theme park attractions in the world. According to the Themed Entertainment Association, approximately 119 million people visited Disney attractions in 2009. Unfortunately, injuries and accidents are as common as tourists visiting Florida’s amusement parks. In […]

Thomas Dennis / 08-26-2011 / Theme park accidents

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Universal Studios has adjusted the popular Harry Potter-themed thrill ride following two recent accidents in which tourists suffered injuries from loose objects. The Dragon Challenge attraction injured a man recently, causing permanent injuries to his right eye. Universal Studios in Orlando said that it has stopped simultaneously launching a pair […]

Thomas Dennis / 08-03-2011 / Theme park accidents

According to the Orlando Sentinel, eleven riders had to be rescued from the E.T. ride at Universal Studios after the ride stopped moving. A technical glitch caused the theme park ride to stop and the Orlando Fire Department used a ladder truck to get the people off the website. Officials said the call came in […]

Thomas Dennis / 07-27-2011 / Theme park accidents

According to CF News 13, light-up watches sold at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida have been recalled due to being a potential burn risk and tourist injuries. The children’s light-up watches, featuring Disney characters such as Buzz Lightyear, Tinker Bell or Lightning McQueen, were sold at Disney’s theme parks from November to January 2011 […]

Thomas Dennis / 07-25-2011 / Theme park accidents

A British postal worker visiting Florida’s Walt Disney World claims he was injured while riding on Big Thunder Mountain. George Ramplin, 43, filed papers in court this week alleging that a ride on Big Thunder Mountain caused him to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, an unusual tourist injury , which led him to steal […]

Thomas Dennis / 05-03-2011 / Theme park accidents

According to the Louisiana Record, a Jefferson Parish woman has filed a lawsuit against Universal Studios after she fell and injured herself while exiting a portable toilet located near a Final Destination IV movie set. The personal injury trial is set to go to trial next year. Debra Pittman claims that she exited the portable […]

Thomas Dennis / 04-01-2011 / Theme park accidents

According to MSNBC, a lawsuit against Walt Disney World following a deadly monorail crash in July 2009 has been dismissed. The Disney monorail backed into the front of the train driven by Austin Wuennenberg, 21, killing the young man. Christine Wuennenberg, Austin’s mother, filed a lawsuit against Disney in January 2010, claiming the monorail’s manager […]