Three recent lawsuits filed in California allege that the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain caused serious brain injuries to riders. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they have been contacted by over 100 additional individuals who reported similar injuries after riding the attraction.
Allegations and personal accounts
The complaints assert that design flaws have existed since the coaster opened in 2002. One plaintiff, Pamela Guillen, visited the park in July for her daughter’s 16th birthday. After riding X2, Guillen says she felt confused and disoriented, and the next memory she has is waking up in a hospital two weeks later following emergency brain surgery.
“I was confused and disoriented, and I remember seeing the fear in my daughter’s eyes and how scared she was,” Guillen recalled. “Everything went blank. My next memory is waking up in the hospital about two weeks later.” She added that she spent nearly a month in the hospital, was intubated, and remained in a coma for a period of time.
Another plaintiff, Michael Wick, also rode X2 with his family and has undergone two brain surgeries. His attorney says Wick can no longer practice law because of a disabling condition resulting from the injuries.
Six days after Guillen’s collapse, Naomi Greer‑Wilkinson rode the coaster. Her parents report that she still cannot breathe on her own and remains in intensive care.
Legal response and park stance
Attorney Gary Dordick of Dordick Law criticized the park’s risk‑assumption policy, stating, “Magic Mountain, as a business, seems to think that it’s OK that if people voluntarily choose to ride a roller coaster, then they’ve assumed the risk. No! They don’t assume a risk of death or catastrophic brain damage for some family fun.” Dordick expects additional lawsuits to be filed in the coming weeks and notes his firm only accepts cases where plaintiffs have received medical treatment before contacting counsel.
Six Flags spokesperson confirmed that the X2 coaster has been closed since the evening of July 12 and declined to comment on pending litigation, citing company policy.
Past litigation
The park previously settled a wrongful‑death lawsuit filed by the family of Christopher Hawley, who died after riding X2 in 2022.
These new filings add to growing concerns about the safety of high‑speed amusement rides and may prompt further regulatory review of coaster design standards in California.
Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.
