Jury Sides with Whistleblower in Landmark Case Against Jersey City Schools, Awarding $245,000 for Retaliation

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A civil jury in Hudson County has awarded $125,000 in punitive damages to a former Jersey City Public Schools employee after finding that the Jersey City Board of Education retaliated against her for whistleblowing. The ruling came after a trial that lasted two weeks, culminating in a verdict delivered on Tuesday. The jury’s decision follows an earlier award of $120,000 in compensatory damages granted to Sabrina Harrold, the former assistant director of human resources for the district. Following the jury’s deliberations, Judge Kalimah Ahmad concluded the trial and dismissed the jurors. … Read more

Jury Awards $200 Million to Family of Girl Who Died on Amusement Ride, Citing Negligence in One of Colorado’s Largest Wrongful Death Verdicts

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — A jury has awarded over $200 million to the family of a six-year-old girl who tragically fell from an amusement park ride in 2021, determining that the park’s negligence contributed to her death. This verdict marks one of the largest wrongful death settlements awarded to a single plaintiff in Colorado history. Wongel Estifanos was riding the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park when the accident occurred. The ride features a vertical drop, where riders are secured in their seats, which plummet more than 100 feet. According to the family’s … Read more

Jury Awards $205 Million to Family After Tragic Amusement Park Ride Fatality of 6-Year-Old

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — A jury has awarded $205 million to the family of Wongel Estifanos, a young girl who tragically lost her life on a ride at an amusement park in Glenwood Springs in 2021. The verdict was reached on Friday, concluding a lawsuit over her death. Wongel, only six years old, died during the Labor Day weekend in 2021 while riding the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. Reports indicate that she fell from her seat as the ride dropped 110 feet into a tunnel. According to her family’s lawsuit, the … Read more

Jury Awards $205 Million to Family After Tragic Theme Park Accident

Glenwood Springs, Colorado — A jury awarded $205 million to the family of Wongel Estifanos, a six-year-old girl who tragically lost her life during a theme park ride in September 2021. Estifanos died on the Haunted Mine Drop at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, where investigations revealed she was not properly secured in her seat when the ride was operated. The Haunted Mine Drop, a 110-foot vertical drop attraction located underground in a mine shaft, was closed after the incident and rebranded as Crystal Tower in 2023. Following the accident, the state of Colorado imposed a … Read more