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Visitors walk past Hogwarts castle in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of the Islands of Adventure theme park at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, Sunday, March 26, 2017 (Phelan M. Ebenhack via AP).
Derrick and Erick Burroughs, twins visiting the Epic Universe theme park at Universal Studios in Orlando, encountered a harrowing experience when a new Harry Potter ride halted unexpectedly, leading to severe injuries. This incident has now led to legal action in Florida.
The 45-year-old twins initiated negligence lawsuits last week, accusing the theme park of failing in its duty of care. Their family excursion turned traumatic on Christmas day after they boarded the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride.
According to the legal documents, as the ride malfunctioned, it came to a sudden stop, causing both plaintiffs to be violently jolted in their seats, resulting in major injuries.
The lawsuits detail that the brothers sustained significant back and neck injuries. Their legal representative emphasized Universal’s obligation to ensure the ride’s safety and adequately warn of any potential risks.
Attorney John V. Scatuorchio from Morgan & Morgan stated that Universal should have maintained the ride in a safe condition and addressed any known hazards, suggesting that the theme park’s oversight led to the dangerous incident.
The Burroughs twins suffered a “loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life” and incurred the “expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment,” the suit says.
The lawsuit is asking for a claim that exceeds $50,000.
“The most important job of a theme park is to keep its guests safe. Instead, Universal allegedly operated a ride that had been plagued by repeated malfunctions, glitches and hard stops since it opened,” Scatuorchio and John Morgan said in a statement obtained by Law&Crime. “Our clients continue to seek treatment for their injuries, which are impacting their everyday lives. They have filed these lawsuits to hold Universal accountable for a safety incident we allege was entirely preventable.”
Universal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.