Disney settles death-ride case
2007-01-05 12:22
Los Angeles - The Walt Disney Company and the family of a Spanish tourist who suffered a fatal brain injury after going on a ride at Disneyland have reached an out-of-court settlement, lawyers said on Thursday.
Cristina Moreno died in September 2000, two months after sustaining a brain aneurysm that her family alleged was triggered by the Indiana Jones Adventure ride at Disney's theme park in Anaheim, California, south of Los Angeles.
Lawyers for the 23-year-old, who was on her honeymoon, filed a lawsuit against Disney in 2001 claiming wrongful death. Jury selection for a two-month case was scheduled to begin in Los Angeles on Friday.
The Moreno estate's attorney, Barry Novack, said a settlement was reached last Friday. He said a confidentiality agreement prevented him from disclosing the terms of the settlement.
Rob Doughty, Disneyland's vice president of communications, declined to discuss the details of the case.
"The case has been settled and the terms will not be disclosed," he said in a statement. "Safety always has been, and continues to be, our top priority."
Disneyland attorney Gary Wolensky was not immediately available for comment.
The lawsuit had sought more than one million dollars in damages.
According to the suit, Moreno complained of a severe headache after going on the ride on June 25 2000, which is based on the Indiana Jones movies starring Harrison Ford. She was hospitalised after losing consciousness that evening and died in hospital on September 1 2000.
The suit alleged Disney had "pushed the envelope to the extreme" in designing the attraction, creating a ride that is "fast, turbulent, combining the ups and downs of a roller-coaster with jarring jumps, drops and unpredictable movements."
The lawsuit claimed the ride could cause internal brain bleeding similar to that in seen in "shaken-baby syndrome."
Attorneys for Disney maintained the attraction was safe and that the woman's death was unrelated to the ride, which opened in March 1995 and is still part of the park's Adventureland.