More than 100 people are preparing legal claims alleging they suffered brain injuries after riding X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, according to attorneys representing riders, putting one of the parkâs most intense roller coasters under growing legal and safety scrutiny.
Three lawsuits have already been filed against Six Flags and ride manufacturer S&S Worldwide. Attorneys say more than 300 people contacted their firm about injuries involving X2, while more than 100 clients are expected to pursue claims tied to alleged brain injuries.
The claims have not been proven in court, and no regulator has determined that X2 caused more than 100 injuries. Six Flags has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Two severe July cases are at the center of the lawsuits
Pamela Guillen, 39, says she rode X2 on July 5 while visiting Six Flags Magic Mountain for her daughterâs birthday. According to her lawsuit, she became confused after the ride, collapsed and was taken to a hospital.
Doctors found severe bleeding in her brain, and she underwent emergency surgery, according to the complaint. Her attorneys say she spent about two weeks in a coma and later required physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Six days later, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode X2 on July 11. Her family alleges she collapsed afterward and required emergency brain surgery for severe intracranial bleeding.
Her family says she remains seriously impaired, unable to speak and dependent on extensive medical care, including ventilator support.
Another rider says he needed two brain surgeries
Attorney Michael Wilk says he rode X2 in February while visiting the park with his grandchildren and later developed headaches, dizziness, confusion and memory problems.
Medical imaging reportedly found intracranial bleeding and swelling. Wilk says he underwent two brain surgeries and has been unable to continue practicing law.
More than 300 people contacted the law firm
Attorney Gary Dordick says more than 300 people contacted his firm about injuries they believe are connected to X2. The firm says more than 100 people it represents reported some degree of brain injury, primarily after riding the coaster within the past two years.
That number should not be treated as a confirmed injury count. It represents people making legal claims, not cases independently verified as being caused by X2.
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X2 remains closed with no reopening date
X2 has been closed since July and remains unavailable at Six Flags Magic Mountain. California amusement-ride safety authorities have been examining the recent incidents.
State rules require operators to report qualifying serious amusement-ride accidents and preserve relevant equipment or conditions during investigations. Those requirements are detailed in the California Department of Industrial Relations amusement-ride regulations.
No reopening date has been announced.
The six-day gap between the July incidents is a key issue
The timing of the Guillen and Greer-Wilkinson cases is likely to receive close attention. Guillen was hospitalized after riding X2 on July 5, while Greer-Wilkinson rode the attraction six days later.
The plaintiffs argue that the first incident should have triggered stronger action before additional riders boarded X2. That allegation has not been established in court.
Questions about how parks handle ride shutdowns have emerged elsewhere. In England, 27 riders were rescued from a stopped roller coaster at Pleasurewood Hills after it became stranded about 50 feet above the ground.
Operational disruptions have also affected major U.S. theme parks, including ride closures at Universal Epic Universe, where headline attractions were temporarily unavailable.
X2 is built around extreme rotational movement
X2 is unusual because its wing-style seats rotate independently while the coaster train moves through drops and inversions.
Six Flags describes the ride as reaching speeds of up to 76 mph, with a drop of roughly 200 feet and more than 3,600 feet of track. The attraction originally opened as X in 2002 and was relaunched as X2 in 2008.
A central question in the lawsuits will be whether the coasterâs rotational and angular forces contributed to the reported injuries. Plaintiffsâ attorneys argue existing testing may not fully capture those forces, while Six Flags has previously disputed safety allegations involving X2.
For now, the most important facts are that X2 remains closed, serious medical injuries have been documented in several riders, and the question of whether the coaster caused those injuries remains under investigation and litigation.
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