A tragic incident at Six Flags Over Georgia has prompted a review of ride safety and potential liability. A rider died after being ejected from Goliath, the park’s tallest roller coaster, during a ride on Monday. The coaster features a 200-foot initial hill. Investigators are examining how the accident occurred. Following the event, Six Flags closed nine similar rides across North America as a precaution, according to The Associated Press.
Mark Lopez-Trigo, a personal injury attorney from Florida, spoke to Fox News Digital about aspects such as safety equipment, maintenance, and inspections that are being scrutinized. “What led to this incident, whether it be isolated or system-wide? Was it a failure in the system itself?” he asked.
“All that’s going to hopefully come out in the next couple days throughout the investigation,” he said.
The restraint system on Goliath and whether it was maintained and inspected properly are potential focuses of the investigation. Lopez-Trigo emphasized the investigation is still in its early stages. Six Flags’ temporary closure of similar rides could provide clues but doesn’t confirm a widespread issue. He noted, “It tells us where to focus theories of liability.” The coaster uses lap bars over riders’ legs and waists instead of seat belts.
In cases of safety equipment failures, investigators and attorneys may need to examine more than the moments before an accident. Lopez-Trigo noted, “Usually what it boils down to is, like what I said, some sort of trickle down effect where a certain system either wasn’t maintained properly or wasn’t inspected properly.” This explanation refers generally to cases his firm has managed.
For the victim’s family, pursuing civil litigation may involve a wrongful-death claim from the victim’s estate. Injured guests might file personal injury claims independently based on the specifics of the incident. Lopez-Trigo stated the process of finding what happened and responsibility usually follows a similar path, regardless of the different legal rights and damages involved. “While justice might mean different things to the different parties, the path to getting that justice is probably gonna look similar in terms of finding some of the answers as to how this happened,” he commented.
Lopez-Trigo explained that the closure of rides illustrates how much remains unknown. “Six Flags’ decision to temporarily close nine other roller coasters across six parks tells you that the company itself does not yet know what caused this,” he stated. Identifying the cause is vital not only for possible civil claims but for assessing necessary safety changes. He remarked, “When we’ve dealt with cases like this in the past, it was always extremely important to find out what happened,” highlighting the role of uncovering facts in preventing similar accidents.
The investigation continues without an official cause disclosed. Attempts to reach Six Flags for comments were not successful. The Associated Press contributed information to this report.