Los Angeles — A 74-year-old Arizona woman, Pamela Morrison, was awarded $7.25 million by a jury for a severe spine injury sustained during her visit to Universal Studios Hollywood in September 2022. The injury occurred as she attempted to exit the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride.
According to the legal filings, Morrison was exiting the ride with her grandson when a malfunction of her safety harness prompted employees to ask her to leave the ride. As she moved from the ride’s moving walkway, Morrison lost her footing, leading to her fall and resultant spinal compression fracture.
Her attorney, Taylor Kruse, claimed the accident was preventable and accused the ride’s staff of negligence for not stopping the moving walkway to ensure Morrison’s safe exit. Kruse highlighted the staff’s decision to prioritize the ride’s operational speed over safety, noting, “It would have cost them four seconds to stop it, but instead they prioritized maintaining the ride’s capacity of accommodating 1,800 riders per hour.”
Despite claims from the defense stating Morrison’s focus on her grandson distracted her from safely navigating her exit, a California jury concluded after a three-day trial and four hours of deliberation on Feb. 14, that Universal Studios Hollywood was culpable for the dangerous conditions that led to Morrison’s mishap.
Reflecting on the ruling, Kruse commented on the profound impact the fall had on Morrison’s life, applauding the jury’s decision as a fair acknowledgment of her suffering and subsequent life alterations.
Morrison was compensated with $250,000 for projected future medical costs, $2 million for past pain and suffering, and an additional $5 million for anticipated future distress.
Universal Studios Hollywood, confronted with the jury’s decision, hasn’t publically responded to the verdict, as outreach for comment remains unanswered.
This case has sparked a broader conversation regarding the balance between operational efficiency and customer safety in theme parks, suggesting possible repercussions for how safety protocols are managed across similar attractions nationwide.
This article was automatically generated by Open AI, and the names, facts, and circumstances mentioned may not be precise. Any inaccuracies can be reported for retraction or correction via email to [email protected].