We know SeaWorld isn’t our usual territory, but when a duck takes out a coaster rider, it’s hard to let that story fly by.
A woman says she was knocked unconscious by a duck while she was riding SeaWorld’s Mako coaster. She is now suing the theme park.
Suing SeaWorld
According to the lawsuit that was filed on Monday, October 27, Hillary R. Martin visited SeaWorld earlier this year on March 24. During her visit, she was riding the Mako coaster when a “duck flew into the path of the roller coaster.” She alleges it struck her in the face and, as a result, she was knocked unconscious.
The complaint also alleges that SeaWorld failed to keep its theme park in a “reasonably safe condition” and did not warn visitors about possibly dangerous conditions. In fact, she goes on to say that SeaWorld created “a zone of danger” for bird strikes due to the operation of the roller coaster near a body of water and creating a ride that disorients waterfowl, which would increase the risk of collision.
The woman seeks $50,000 in damages because she suffered permanent physical injuries, disfigurement, and mental pain and suffering. She also had medical expenses, according to the filing. She is requesting a trial by jury, and the pre-trial date is set for October 28, 2027. The trial date is set for November 8, 2027.
The incident was not listed in the quarterly report from Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Major Florida theme parks are required to report serious visitor injuries that lead to a hospital stay of 24 hours or more.
SeaWorld made the following announcement:
The safety of our guests and employees is a top priority and we take these situations seriously. We will not be commenting beyond that as this is pending litigation.
John Morgan, of Morgan & Morgan, who represents Martin also made the following statement:
SeaWorld knew or should have known of this dangerous condition, as this was not the first reported bird collision to occur on one of their roller coasters this year. SeaWorld allegedly dangerously positioned a high-speed coaster over a man-made lake teeming with birds. We’re here to get justice for our client and ensure this allegedly dangerous design is fixed, permanently.
Mako Coaster
Mako, one of eight roller coasters at SeaWorld, is a high-speed coaster that opened in 2016. This is not the first time the coaster has been the subject a of lawsuit before. Last month, another lawsuit was filed alleging that a child was hit in the face by an object while riding in March of this year as well.
Source: Fox35 Orlando
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