“Long time ride designer Bill Kitchen of Orlando tells WESH 2 News the safety record for the coaster worldwide has been sound, and in his view, the lap bar is enough, adding, ‘It's an unfortunate coincidence but it is, in my opinion not going to be negligence on the part of Universal.’
Attorney Crump claims Universal ride attendants helped Zavala onto the ride from his wheelchair with what’s called a ‘transfer seat.’
Ken Martin, a safety expert in Virginia, added, ‘They should not have allowed him to get onto the ride. When people get on rides they have to have the use of their extremities and their body mass, and that's how the roller coaster is designed.’”
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So did Universal employees “help him” onto the ride or did they just offer the use of a transfer seat? According to the attorney, the victim was “totally independent”, so he shouldn’t have needed any help. Of course, that could just be Lawyer Speak, which is frustrating when all you want is to know the correct details.
I just have a hard time imagining Universal employees lifting him up and setting him in the seat themselves. Amusement park employees aren’t supposed to touch you, for obvious liability reasons.
As I've said before, the real physical facts should have been a part of the medical examiners report. Universal and the attorney will have access to that. This comment is pure conjecture, but I can speak from experience on what happens if your femur and hip breaks at the point of connection. I had a
bad fall last October. My femur (which is the longest bone in the body) fractured and broke away from the hip and the hip also fractured.
I’m very sorry to hear about your injury. That sounds horrific. I can’t imagine that happening while being contained within the restraint system of a rollercoaster, unless there were preexisting health conditions involved. As you said, that should have been in the examiners report, so we didn’t end up with so much speculation.
If one's upper legs were broken during the ride and the restraint was already positioned awkwardly on one's body, it makes a bit more sense how the rest of the body could be moved out of the proper place under the restraint with the repeated forward and back motion from all the air time hills. It's probably not the fact that someone passed out that is the issue. That is obviously tested for and should not cause serious injuries.
I’ve watched the paramedic video that is being referenced on here. This theory would also point to preexisting health conditions being a factor.