Myrtle Beach rollercoaster left man paralyzed, lawsuit claims
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A rough ride aboard Family Kingdom’s “Swamp Fox” wooden rollercoaster left a North Carolina man paralyzed, a newly filed lawsuit claims.
The man’s wife filed a personal injury lawsuit on Thursday against the iconic Ocean Boulevard amusement park, suing on grounds of negligence and ultra-hazardous activity.
The incident happened in July 2021, when the North Carolina couple visited the park and rode on the 2,4000-foot coaster that hits speeds up to 75 mph.
At some point, the man sustained a spinal cord injury that resulted in quadriplegia.
Family-Kingdom-lawsuitDownload
The suit names Family Kingdom and its parent company Ocean Avenue Attractions LLC among its defendants.
“Defendants knew or should have known that the roller coaster required extensive maintenance and refurbishment prior to use and encouraging persons to use the roller coaster when it was unreasonably dangerous and unsafe with a significant potential to cause serious injuries to its users,” the lawsuit says.
The man’s wife is seeking unspecified financial damages.
It’s not the first time such claims have been made against Family Kingdom for the coaster, which opened in 1966.
A Horry County woman in 2019 sued, saying the ride was too rough and dangerous without adequate warning.
She also claimed the park failed to adequately warn customers about the Swamp Fox roller coaster being significantly more dangerous than a typical roller coaster.
According to that suit, the woman rode the roller coaster on June 9, 2018. She had a history of back problems but said she has ridden many roller coasters without problems.
“However, the Swamp Fox coaster was much more rough than a normal roller coaster, and in fact rose up off the tracks and slammed back down again, aggravating Plaintiff’s prior back injuries,” the suit states.
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