Woman awarded $7.25M following injury on Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios Hollywood
Woman awarded $7.25M following injury on Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios Hollywood "Her life was changed" because of the injury, her attorney Taylor Scott Kruse said.
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Jury awards $7.25 million to woman injured on ride at Universal
A federal jury has awarded $7.25 million to a 74-year-old Arizona woman for a spine injury she suffered in a fall while exiting the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Fox - LA
A grandmother from Arizona was awarded $7.25 million after falling while exiting the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal Studios Hollywood and crushing her spine.
The plaintiff in the case was Pamela L. Morrison, while the defendants were Universal City Studios LLC, NBCUniversal, LLC, NBCUniversal Media, LLC and Comcast Corporation.
Morrison argued that the defendants did not provide a safe environment, while the defendants placed the blame on Morrison for causing her own injuries, according to court documents.
In September 2022, Morrison was exiting the ride with her young grandson when she fell and fractured her spine, her attorney, Taylor Scott Kruse, told USA TODAY.
"She's a very deserving person, and her life was changed because of this," Kruse said.
And the jury presiding over the case agreed.
On Feb. 14, a federal jury ruled in favor of Morrison, according to court documents.
The jury awarded her $7.25 million total: $250,000 for future medical expenses, $2 million for past, noneconomic damages and $5 million for future noneconomic damages.
More travel news: Flexjet crew blamed for near collision with Southwest flight on Chicago runway
What happened?
In September 2022, Morrison was exiting the vehicle for a ride based on the "Harry Potter" movies at the Hollywood theme park when she fractured her spine, according to transcripts obtained by the Guardian.
She had been asked to exit because her safety harness failed to secure her, reported the Los Angeles Times. But, as she was leaving, she slipped when she moved from the moving walkway that leads guest to their vehicles from their vehicles to solid ground that was stationary.
The defense team argued that the fall happened because Morrison was distracted by her grandson when the fall happened, according to the Guardian. But the jury disagreed.
"At the end of the day, they prioritized keeping that conveyor belt moving to get people to the gift shop," Kruse said.
Morrison also injured her hip and shoulder, according to Kruse, but the fracture brought on a spinal deformity and chronic pain.
USA TODAY has reached out to Universal Studios regarding the case.
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
41 minutes ago
Hailee Steinfeld reflects on 'unforgettable' wedding to Josh Allen
Hailee Steinfeld says her wedding to Josh Allen was "unforgettable" and "magical." The " Sinners" star opened up about her black-tie wedding last month to the Buffalo Bills quarterback in her Beau Society newsletter on Friday, including photos from the stunning event. "Over the past two weeks, random yet very specific memories have been popping back into our heads, and we've been blurting them out to each other, often through smiles, laughs, and tears," she wrote. "It felt like love was running through the veins of every tree at our gorgeous venue in Santa Barbara," she continued. "Our family and friends coming together amplified it." The Oscar nominee said that the night before the wedding, the couple had a dinner with their immediate families. They also had a welcome party the next day for their guests. On the morning of their wedding, Steinfeld said she and Allen had an early breakfast, writing, "I don't think I could've gone the whole day without seeing him!" When it came to the actual ceremony, Steinfeld said her dad walked her down the aisle. She wore a custom dress designed by Tamara Ralph, for which she had a fitting in Paris after the London premiere of "Sinners." She said that when she saw Allen at the end of the aisle, he "looked like the man of every dream I've ever had." "I just remember the walkup looked like a façade," she wrote. "Josh standing under this huge structure; it was the most surreal thing I'd ever seen." Following their reception, the duo hosted an underground afterparty that ended at 3 a.m. and included a DJ, cigar bar and more, she said. Steinfeld said she and Allen embarked on their honeymoon the next day. "Now we're back and it's been a whole 13 days of being married, and we'll be staying on this high forever!" she wrote. The pair first made their relationship Instagram official in July 2024. They later confirmed their engagement on Nov. 29, 2024, also with an .
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
Love Island host Maya Jama drops proof of 'epic twists' to come this season
This season of Love Island has only been on our screens for a week, and things are already heating up in the villa. Two members of the Love Island 2025 cast have been dumped, six bombshells have entered and the girls got to watch the boys on a cheeky night out – with the fallout from that expected to be shown during tonight's episode (Sunday 15 June). And, even with all that going on, we can expect even more twists and turns to come, which Maya Jama just confirmed. Taking to her Instagram feed, the Love Island host shared a series of behind-the-scenes photos from the last week. In one of the photos, we can see a card from (who we assume is) the Love Island producing team, which is addressed to "Maya – CEO of Love". "Happy launch day!" the card continues. "Here's to an epic series of twists and turns," it goes on to read, confirming that this season of Love Island will be the most exciting yet. Swipe to slide 15: Maya's post comes after plenty of celebration from fans about this year's series so far, with viewers taking to social media to praise the producers. "Love Island producers have absolutely earned their entire yearly salary just from this episode ALONE," one person said after Friday night's episode, in which the girls watched as the boys went on dates with the new bombshells in a Movie Night-style twist. "Kinda love the producers for letting the girls hear ALL the gossip, ALL the context and now they can make their minds up," another viewer wrote, with a third agreeing: "This format is actually better than Movie Night because CONTEXT IS THERE, love that the girls can hear everything start to finish." Elsewhere, a fourth fan said what we're all thinking: "Producers ate." We'll definitely be tuning in tonight at 9pm sharp to see how this twist plays out...
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Beyoncé wishes Jay-Z happy Father's Day, honors dads during fifth show in London
Hear this story AI-assisted summary Beyoncé performed her fifth "Cowboy Carter" tour show in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. She acknowledged Father's Day and gave a shout-out to her husband, Jay-Z. The tour includes 39 songs and features various music genres, including country. The final show is scheduled for July 26 in Las Vegas. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter delivered her fifth show on her "Cowboy Carter" tour in London, and she took a moment to wish husband Jay-Z happy Father's Day and honor all the fathers in the building before the night ended. The Grammy-winning singer kicked off her June 14 show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium around 7:41 p.m local time. The show marked her fifth of six shows at the stadium on her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. Her last show in London is set to take place June 16, before Beyoncé heads to Paris for three nights. She started the show thanking fans for their loyalty and support for her nearly three-decade career. "Every time I see all of you guys dressed up and your beautiful signs, I just feel so much gratitude inside," she told the roaring crowd as she opened the show. As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. Her shows have been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. And Saturday's concert was no different as she debuted more looks and delivered a high-powered show. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Toward the end of the show, Beyoncé made sure to honor Father's Day, which takes place June 15. "I want to wish all the fathers a very, very happy Father's Day," she said, and then she took a moment to give the hip-hop mogul a special shoutout as she held up the Roc diamond hand symbol, as a reference to Jay-Z and his entertainment company Roc Nation. During her fourth show in London, Beyoncé also took a moment to wish her twins, Sir and Rumi Carter, a happy birthday onstage. She promoted fans to join in the sweet moment as Rumi stood on stage. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
