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Credit: UniversalA female guest allegedly suffered a brain injury while riding Universal Studios Florida’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.
According to court documents filed on Wednesday (February 28), Geriann Clem was visiting Universal Orlando Resort with her husband, Richard Clem – both of Broward County, Florida – in February 2023 when she decided to ride the roller coaster.
During the attraction, Clem’s head allegedly “shook violently and slammed into her seat’s headrest throughout the duration of the ride.”
Clem claims that she consequently sustained a “traumatic brain injury” that has caused “loss of capacity for enjoyment of life” both in the past and future.
“Defendant’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Roller Coaster travels at a top speed of 65 miles per hour and reaches heights of 167 feet,” the lawsuit reads. “The Roller Coaster twists, turns, drops, and flips without providing its riders with any head restraints.”
The duo are accusing Universal of negligence and loss of consortium and are seeking over $50,000 in damages.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (which has previously been named the worst roller coaster in Orlando) has made headlines multiple times since opening in 2009 for recurrent breakdowns. One of the most recent incidents occurred in November 2023 when guests were rescued by local fire services after becoming stuck in a near-vertical position during the ride’s ascent.
This isn’t the first lawsuit to hit the Orlando theme park resort in the past year. In April 2023, a guest sued Universal Orlando Resort after reportedly losing their finger on Skull Island: Reign of Kong in 2021. In December, another guest filed a lawsuit against the resort after sustaining “severe personal injuries” when she fell while dismounting a “beast” on the Caro-Suess-El ride at Islands of Adventure.
Inside the Magic contacted Universal Orlando Resort for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.
Do you read Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit when visiting Universal Orlando Resort? Let us know in the comments.