A Dallas-based attorney who has spent more than a decade handling amusement park injury cases is speaking out about ride safety after a man was fatally ejected from a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia earlier this week.
Frank Branson, a well-known personal injury lawyer in the Dallas area, said the death of 42-year-old Hassand Jihad Kariem on the Goliath coaster is a troubling reminder that theme park rides carry serious risks that are often hidden from the public.
“They did it again” Branson said. “People ride these rides wanting a cheap thrill and wouldn’t think it’s a nightmare when something goes wrong. The ride operator blames it on the manufacturer and the manufacturer blames it on the operator.”
Branson has firsthand experience with Six Flags ride tragedies. He represented the family of Rosa Esparza a 52-year-old woman who died at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington more than 13 years ago. Their lawsuit alleged the company had known for decades that additional safety hardware was needed. The case was resolved in November 2014 and the coaster later reopened with added safety features.
Following the Georgia fatality Six Flags announced it temporarily closed nine similar rides at its other parks. It remains unclear whether any closures will affect the Arlington location which was already scheduled to be closed this week ahead of Fright Fest on Friday.
In Texas amusement park safety oversight falls under the state’s department of insurance. However the department does not conduct its own inspections and instead requires parks to carry insurance and hold a valid inspection certificate from their insurer. Branson said that system leaves riders more vulnerable than they may realize.
“People just need to understand this is not necessarily as safe as it appears on the outside” he said.
The Georgia incident comes just weeks after Six Flags was named in multiple lawsuits over alleged brain injuries suffered by riders on the X2 coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. That ride has since been permanently retired.
Branson is urging anyone injured at a theme park to seek medical attention immediately and report the incident to park staff. He also advises victims to request a copy of any incident report file photographs of the ride and visible injuries and to avoid posting about the incident on social media until speaking with an attorney.