Husband left paralyzed after riding Myrtle Beach amusement ride, lawsuit claims
A North Carolina husband and wife have filed separate lawsuits against a Myrtle Beach amusement park claiming its roller coaster left the husband paralyzed.
Gangia Adhikari claims in a suit that her husband, Kul Sannyashi, was left paralyzed after allegedly riding the Swamp Fox roller coaster at Family Kingdom, 300 S. Ocean Blvd. A similar suit was filed by Sannyashi.
The suits were filed on June 20, 2024.
The suit names Family Kingdom, Ocean Avenue Attractions, Donnie Snipes and Leigh V. Meese.
A call to Family Kingdom on Friday went unanswered and an email message was not immediately returned. A number could not be found for Ocean Avenue Attractions.
According to Adhikari’s suit, her husband was riding the Swamp Fox coaster on July 23, 2021, when he suffered an acute injury to his spinal cord which caused him to become a quadriplegic. Sannyashi’s suit lists the same cause.
The suit accuses the amusement park of negligence, carelessness and not operating the amusement park in a safe manner. It also accuses the park of not warning guests of any “latent dangers.”
The amusement park failed to take precautions to make the roller coaster safe for users, encouraging persons to use it when it could cause serious injuries to its users, according to the suit.
The amusement ride is one of the few wooden coasters in the U.S. It opened in 1966 and then had to undergo restoration after it was damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
Conway attorney Morgan Martin, whose firm is one that is representing the couple, said Friday that there have been numerous reviews over the years from people about how “violent and rough” the ride is.
“The allegation is that he gets on fine and then gets off as a quadriplegic,” Martin said. “It’s such as sad, sad day for that young man, who is just in horrible condition.”
Sannyashi claims in the suit that he has had to undergo operative procedures which required expensive medical treatments, hospitalization and intensive care, which will continue for long periods of time. He currently requires 24-hour nursing and assistance and suffers from extreme pain, mental anguish and depression because of his permanent injuries, according to the suit.
The suit is asking compensation in both suits from the husband’s incapacitation and inability to attend to his “regular affairs and duties” and the total loss of his earning capacity.
