Woman awarded $7.25M following injury on Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios Hollywood
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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
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