ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida jury awarded $310 million to the parents of 14-year-old Tyre Sampson, who tragically died after falling from a 400-foot drop tower ride at Orlando’s ICON Park last year. The Orange County jury decided on the sum, splitting it equally with $155 million apiece for his mother and father.
The legal proceedings began on Thursday surrounding the lawsuit initiated by Sampson’s family after his fatal plunge on March 24, 2022, from the Orlando FreeFall attraction — at the time billed as the world’s tallest freestanding drop tower. The thrill ride, which had only been operational for a few months, has since been dismantled.
Funtime Handels, the Austrian company responsible for manufacturing the Orlando FreeFall, did not have representatives present in the courtroom during the trial. Instead, the jury focused on determining the monetary compensation owed to Sampson’s family.
The lawsuit filed in April 2022 claimed the ride’s operators were aware of “unreasonably dangerous and foreseeable risks” and argued that the inclusion of seat belts, costing a mere $22 per seat, could have prevented casualties. The tragic result was compounded by findings from an independent forensic engineering firm that revealed the ride’s sensors had been manually adjusted, leading to unsafe conditions at the time of Sampson’s fall.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Nikki Fried, communicated her findings during a news conference, highlighting that manual alterations had made the harness’ restraint opening nearly double its standard size. Detailed reports further clarified that these adjustments involved the harness sensor in Sampson’s seat being “manually loosened” and allowed a gap of about 7 inches.
The incident stirred a significant legislative response, leading to the May 2023 signing of the Tyre Sampson Act by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. This new set of regulations mandates seat belts and harnesses on rides exceeding 100 feet and enforces regular certification and testing by a separate regulatory agency. Furthermore, the act requires prompt reporting by ride operators in the event of accidents, with state authorities granted power to impound faulty rides if necessary.
Additionally, this act enables the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to carry out unscheduled inspections to ensure compliance and safety on amusement rides.
While earlier in the lawsuit, settlements were reached with ICON Park and the company operating the ride, Sampson’s parents continued their legal battle against the ride’s manufacturers including, Funtime Handels and Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, seeking accountability for their son’s untimely death. The Fred Sampson, expressing his deep-seated grief and determination, has been outspoken about the need for rides like the one that claimed his son’s life to be permanently dismantled to avoid future tragedies.
Attorney Ben Crump, representing the Sampson family, underscored the trial as a “pivotal moment” in the quest for Justice: he emphasized that the trial would bring to light the negligence of the ride’s manufacturers in failing to install crucial safety measures and adhering to proper weight specifications for riders.
This article was compiled using generative AI technology by OpenAI, and while every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the facts, circumstances, and events reported may contain inaccuracies. Readers wishing to request corrections, retractions, or deletions can contact [email protected].