Fact or Fiction: No One Has Died at Disneyland
It is easy to look at Disneyland with feelings of hope, excitement, and magic and ignore the less-desirable bits, like the fact that there have been major incidents in the theme park’s 61 years of operation – including visitor deaths. Accidents often occur due to human error, machinery malfunctions, and faulty moving equipment, and whenever negligence plays a part in these catastrophes, the affected family is entitled to compensation.
Causes of Disneyland Deaths to Date
Some of the deaths allegedly caused by Disneyland resulted in a visitor passing away after leaving the park and are not considered deaths at Disneyland. However, they were still processed as wrongful deaths and led to the company being sued by the families of the deceased. In these cases, large settlements are often awarded.
One such incidence was the death of Cristina Moreno, age 23, who died of brain hemorrhaging two months after complaining of a severe headache when disembarking from Disneyland’s Indiana Jones attraction. Her family sued for wrongful death and eventually received a settlement.
Other deaths have occurred on park property that caused many tourists to rethink their vacation plans. Over the years, Disneyland visitors have died from ride malfunctions due to employee negligence or machine failures, leading to terrible deaths of children and adults alike. In fact, the first guest death that was not attributed to patron negligence occurred in 1998 when a heavy metal nautical cleat came loose from the “Sailing Ship Columbia” and struck a 33-year-old man in the head.
In 2000, the ride “Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin” had a lap bar failure that resulted in a 4-year-old boy falling from the ride and getting pinned beneath an oncoming car. He suffered irreversible brain damage that left him paralyzed, and he died nine years later due to health complications. In 2003, “Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” caused the death of 22-year-old Marcelo Torres and the injuries of 11 other passengers when the ride derailed and crashed due to an overlooked missing guide wheel.
What Disneyland Is Doing to Prevent Further Tragedies
Many visitors have legitimate complaints and fears against the park. Deaths, injuries, and hazardous accidents continue to occur – even within the past year. In response, Disneyland has upped its safety precautions and more thoroughly trained its employees on the operation of heavy equipment.
Disneyland has always engaged in ride checks to ensure proper functioning but has improved the technologies used to do so in recent years to limit the risk of human error. New sensor innovations can alert staff if something on the ride is out of sync or damaged, and the issue can be safely remedied before disaster strikes.
Unfortunately, human error and accidents will never cease to exist – especially in an environment that accommodates thousands of visitors each day and has to rely on large, metal attractions and machinery. Disneyland, like other large-scale theme parks and amusement parks, will always be subject to devastating deaths and injuries on its property, no matter how far its engineers go in their efforts to remain a safe tourist destination.
Let Us Represent You in Your Corporation Lawsuit
Disneyland injury lawsuits are unfortunately not a thing of fiction. If you or a loved one has been injured in this park or on the property of another large corporation, contact Liljegren Law Group’s professional personal injury lawyers today. Wrongful death lawsuits are riddled with emotional upheaval and bereavement, even without the added stress of dealing with a large corporation. Allow our wrongful death attorneys to evaluate your case. Work with us to understand your rights, and we will help you find peace of mind.