On July 19th a woman’s life was ended while she took a joyride on a rollercoaster with her family. At six flags, Rosa Esparza was on the roller coaster The Texas Giant along with her daughter and son-in-law. The horror occurred as Mrs. Esparza’s grandchildren waited for her when the ride was over. A little under a month later, the Esparza family filed a case against Six Flags Entertainment Corp. looking for at least a million dollars in damages. Attorneys representing the Esparza family took their case then to Six Flags in Tarrant County’s 342nd State District Court, according to Chron.com.
The Esparza family believes that it was Six Flags’ negligence in making sure their rides were secure- that ultimately led to their mother, Mrs. Esparza to lose her life on their ride. Six Flags however, completely “denies each and every allegation in the Esparza family lawsuit.” Six flags instead points their finger at independent contractor Gerstlauer Amusement Rides, a company that handles the “safety and design of the restraint system” which failed Mrs. Esparza.
Six flags claims that its employees are “properly trained for the upkeep of this ride and the other rides at their amusement park. They cited the 2.5 or more million people that had been on the Texas Giant before Mrs. Esparza as proof of the roller coaster’s safety.
The suit notes that the coaster only had a single safety bar for each seat without belts that went across the shoulder or lap. There also weren’t any shoulder harnesses for safety. Mrs. Esparza’s daughter recalled with horror as her mother was screaming for dear life as she tried to hold on while the ride descended. The 52 year old mother was “thrown against a support piling, falling many feet to the metal roof of the tunnel,” according to the Esparza family’s claims. The surviving Esparza’s claim that rides keep getting more and more dangerous, and less safe. Grieving over their mother, they look for justice, as Six Flags claims no responsibility for the death.
Image Credit: Chron