Latest news with #KimberlyPanetta
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mom says giant wave at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon left her injured and she wants $2m
A mom from New York is suing Disney for $2 million after claiming she was injured by a wave at the park's Typhoon Lagoon waterpark. Kimberly Panetta alleges she was waiting for her 4-year-old daughter to come down a small waterslide in the children's portion of the Florida park in April 2022 when she was "violently struck by a sudden and forceful wave," according to the lawsuit. Panetta claims a "mammoth wave" knocked her to the ground and dragged her along the concrete, causing her serious and permanent injuries, the lawsuit says, according to ClickOrlando. 'It pummeled her, and her body skidded across the cement or gunite, causing serious 'road rash' or scrapes that were severe and deep,' Panetta's lawsuit says, noting that her injuries have made her self-conscious about her appearance since the incident. The lawsuit says that "prior to this accident or incident, [Panetta] would be able to wear clothing that exposed her legs, now keeps her legs covered and must tolerate being hot and uncomfortable as a result thereof." The lawsuit says Disney should have installed barriers to protect people from being knocked around by waves. There are no naturally occurring waves at Typhoon Lagoon. The park does have an attraction called the Surf Pool, which Disney says is the largest wave pool in North America. The pool is reportedly capable of generating up to six-foot swells that surfers can ride. Panetta is accusing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts of negligence and is asking for $2 million, according to court records. 'As a result of this incident, (Panetta's) vacation was ruined, and she was stuck limping around applying bandages, salves and creams, and was forced to avoid swimming and enjoying planned visits to the parks,' the lawsuit says. Disney was also sued over the waterpark in 2023 by a woman accusing the company of negligence after she suffered a "painful wedgie" while riding the Humunga Kowabunga, the park's fastest and steepest waterslide. She said the incident left her suffering from internal injuries. Another woman sued over Typhoon Lagoon in 2024. She reportedly suffered brain damage after taking a water tube down the same slide. In her lawsuit, she says she was knocked unconscious during the ride and that she nearly drowned in the pool at the bottom of the slide.
Toronto Sun
28-04-2025
- Toronto Sun
Woman sues Disney for $2M, claims ‘mammoth wave' scarred her for life
Wooden mast that reads "Welcome!" and "Typhoon Lagoon." Instagram A New York woman is suing Disney Parks for $2 million after she was allegedly struck and left permanently scarred by a 'mammoth wave' at Typhoon Lagoon in Florida. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Kimberly Panetta, 45, of Dix Hills, N.Y., claimed her annual family trip to the 'Place Where Dreams Come True' turned into a nightmare while she was standing in the kids' area waiting for her toddler daughter to descend down a slide. That's when a 'mammoth wave' from another area of the pool 'violently struck' her with so much force that 'it pummelled her,' according to her lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Federal Court earlier this month. 'It was so powerful it was actually dragging us under the water for several feet,' Panetta told the New York Post of the April 2022 incident at the Disney-owned water park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 'I just thank God I had the sense to push [my daughter] above as I was getting dragged,' she continued. 'I knew if she was the one getting dragged she would have been cut all over.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Panetta 'skidded across the cement or gunite, causing serious 'road rash' or scrapes that were severe and deep,' according to court papers. 'I felt pain immediately and I looked down and there was blood,' she recalled to the outlet. She also recounted how her two children, ages three and seven at the time, were 'mortified' after they saw their mom's wounds. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Panetta's husband, Frank, said their young daughter would have 'taken the brunt of the injury,' if his wife hadn't held the girl up, detailing how Kimberly skidded across about '15 or 20 feet' of concrete. Kimberly Panetta's complaint claimed that their family vacation was 'ruined' because 'she was stuck limping around applying bandages, salves and creams, and was forced to avoid swimming and enjoying planned visits to the parks.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She accused Disney of negligence,' claiming the park 'should not have let the wave pool or 'typhoon' power waves enter the kiddie area and pummel the parents that [were] unwittingly waiting for their young children to descend.' Disney officials did not respond to The Toronto Sun's request for comment. Read More Panetta is seeking $2 million in damages for continued 'medical care and treatment' and 'mental anguish,' according to the complaint. Her husband told the Post that Disney only offered their family a $250 credit after the incident. World Federal Elections Celebrity Canada News
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mom Sues Disney Wave Pool for $2,000,000: 'There Was Blood'
The happiest place on earth turned ugly, bloody even, recently, when a mom was knocked out by a wave at Typhoon Lagoon, the black sheep of the wave pool world, at Disney's Magic Kingdom. Kimberly Panetta was on a family vacation at the Florida amusement park when the injury occurred. She was waiting for her three-year-old to come down a slide in a kiddie pool. That's when a 'mammoth wave' swept her off her feet, and 'pummeled her.' The 45-year-old was hurt. And now, she's suing for a cool two million dollars. 'It was so powerful it was actually dragging us under the water for several feet,' Panetta told The New York Post. 'I just thank God I had the sense to push her [her daughter] above as I was getting dragged. I knew if she was the one getting dragged she would have been cut all over.' The incident actually happened in 2022; but the lawsuit is being filed now. When the wave whacked her off her feet, Panetta said: 'I felt pain immediately and I looked down and there was blood. You think you're in the happiest place on Earth and the safest place but it's like being dragged on concrete — it's very rough.' Afterwards, the trip 'was ruined and she was stuck limping around applying bandages, salves and creams and was forced to avoid swimming and enjoying planned visits to the parks. We had all these plans and we had to cancel everything. I couldn't even go in the pool where we were staying, I had to stay inside. Everything was completely ruined.' Disney, for their part, offered Panetta a $250 credit. But the accident left lingering scars, and self-consciousness, hence the lawsuit. As for Typhoon Lagoon, it's been around for quite some time – Kelly Slater even won an event there in 1997, with Rob Machado winning the next year, according to Matt Warshaw's Encyclopedia of Surfing – however, it doesn't have the quality of a wave that most modern wave pools feature. But apparently, it was enough to knock out a mom and prompt a lawsuit for two mill. Valid? Or total Karen move?
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mom Sues Disney for $2 Million After Claiming a ‘Mammoth Wave' Injured Her in a Typhoon Lagoon Kiddie Pool: ‘There Was Blood'
Kimberly Panetta is suing Disney Parks and Resorts for $2 million after claiming she was hit by a "mammoth" wave while standing in a kids' section of the water park The mom claimed she was pushed under the water and her body "skidded" against the rough base of the pool for several feet The 45-year-old woman claimed her family vacation was ruined and that she still has scars from the 2022 incident A New York woman is suing Disney resorts after she claimed she was injured by a 'mammoth wave' at the Typhoon Lagoon water park. Kimberly Panetta, 45, of Dix Hills, N.Y., said she was vacationing with her family at Typhoon Lagoon — a Disney-owned water park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — in April 2022 when the incident occurred, per a legal complaint filed in federal court in New York on April 11. According to the complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Panetta claimed she was standing in a kiddie pool waiting for her young daughter to descend down an age-appropriate slide when a 'mammoth wave' from another area of the pool struck her from the side with so much force that 'it pummeled her.' The complaint stated that her body 'skidded across the cement or gunite, causing serious 'road rash' or scrapes that were severe and deep.' Now, Panetta is seeking $2 million in damages for continued 'medical care and treatment' and 'mental anguish,' per the complaint. The complaint claimed that Panetta's family vacation was 'ruined' because 'she was stuck limping around applying bandages, salves and creams, and was forced to avoid swimming and enjoying planned visits to the parks.' Related: Woman Suing Walt Disney World for $50K Over 'Injurious Wedgie' on Typhoon Lagoon Water Slide The complaint also claimed Panetta now has 'scars' and 'marks' on her legs that cause her to feel self-conscious, and that she now does not wear clothing that exposes her legs, even when it is 'hot and uncomfortable.' The plaintiff also claimed this is a direct 'result of negligence' on behalf of the park. In the complaint, Panetta claimed that the park 'should not have let the wave pool or 'typhoon' power waves enter the kiddie area and pummel the parents that [were] unwittingly waiting for their young children to descend.' The complaint also claimed that the barriers around the kiddie area 'should have protected mothers standing at the bottom of the slide from being thrown, tossed and pummeled by powerful waves.' PEOPLE reached out to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, as well as Panetta's attorney, for comment on Saturday, April 26, but did not receive an immediate response. Related: Disney World Seeks to Dismiss Doctor's Wrongful Death Lawsuit Because He Subscribed to Disney+ for a Month in 2019 Panetta recalled the incident — and specifically the wave — while recently speaking to The New York Post. 'It was so powerful it was actually dragging us under the water for several feet,' she said. 'I just thank God I had the sense to push her [my daughter] above as I was getting dragged. I knew if she was the one getting dragged she would have been cut all over.' 'I felt pain immediately and I looked down and there was blood,' she continued. 'You think you're in the happiest place on Earth and the safest place, but it's like being dragged on concrete — it's very rough.' Panetta also told the outlet that her children, then ages 3 and 7, were 'mortified' — and also shocked to see 'blood pouring out of their mother.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'We had all these plans and we had to cancel everything. I couldn't even go in the pool where we were staying. I had to stay inside. Everything was completely ruined,' she explained. Panetta's husband, Frank Panetta, added that their young daughter 'would have definitely been hurt had my wife not held her up and taken the brunt of the injury,' noting that his wife skidded 'for 15 or 20 feet.' He also told The Post that the resort ultimately only offered their family a $250 credit after the incident. Read the original article on People
