Six Flags Faces Lawsuits Alleging X2 Coaster Caused Severe Brain Injuries
Attorneys say over 100 individuals have come forward with similar claims following rides on the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Three new lawsuits filed against Six Flags Magic Mountain allege that riders suffered major brain injuries after riding the X2 roller coaster. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs state that more than 100 additional individuals have come forward with similar complaints.
The lawsuits claim that the X2 coaster has had design problems dating back to its opening in 2002. According to the plaintiffs' legal team, their firm has been contacted by over 100 people in the past two months who reported experiencing some level of brain damage after riding the attraction.
One lawsuit was filed by Pamela Guillen, who visited Six Flags Magic Mountain in July for her daughter's 16th birthday. Guillen reported feeling confused and disoriented immediately after exiting the X2 ride. Her next memory was waking up in a hospital two weeks later, where she learned from her family that she had undergone emergency brain surgery. Guillen stated she was intubated, spent nearly a month in the hospital, and was in a coma.
Another plaintiff, Michael Wick, has undergone two brain surgeries and is now unable to practice law due to a disability, according to his attorney. A third rider, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, experienced issues after riding the coaster six days after Guillen's incident. Her parents report that she has not yet begun breathing on her own.
"Magic Mountain, as a business, seems to think that it's OK that if people voluntarily choose to ride a roller coaster, then they've assumed the risk. No! They don't assume a risk of death or catastrophic brain damage for some family fun,” said Gary Dordick, an attorney with Dordick Law, representing the plaintiffs.
Six Flags confirmed that the X2 ride has been closed since the evening of July 12 and issued a statement: “It is our policy not to comment on pending litigation.”
Dordick indicated that he expects more lawsuits to be filed in the coming weeks. He noted that his firm has only accepted cases from individuals who had sought medical treatment before contacting an attorney, and all of them suffered some form of brain injury.
In a previous case, Magic Mountain settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Christopher Hawley, who alleged that Hawley died after riding the X2 in 2022.