A lawyer says the fatal Six Flags roller coaster crash could raise broader safety questions as the 9 rides approach.
A personal injury lawyer outlines potential liability as investigators examine the fatal roller coaster crash at Six Flags Over Georgia.
As Six Flags investigates the deadly roller coaster accident, a lawyer is investigating
A fatal roller coaster accident at Six Flags Over Georgia is raising questions about ride safety and potential liability as investigators try to determine how a rider was ejected from one of the park's attractions.
What led to this incident, either isolated or system-wide? Lopez-Trigo said. "Was it a failure in the system itself?"
A man has died after falling from the GOLIATH roller coaster at Six Flags over Georgia.
He said inspectors could look at the Goliath's restraint system and whether necessary maintenance and inspections were done properly before the accident.
"Hopefully this will all be clear in the next few days during the investigation," he said.
Lopez-Trigo emphasized that the investigation is in its early stages and the cause has not been determined.
Lopez-Trigo said Six Flags' decision to temporarily close similar rides could help limit the investigation, although the closure alone does not pose a broader safety problem.
"It tells us where to focus theories of responsibility," he said.
Cases involving potential safety equipment failures often require investigators and attorneys to look at the moments immediately preceding the accident, Lopez-Trigo said.
Man's fatal fall from Six Flags roller coaster, eyewitnesses spark horror
Goliath does not turn riders upside down and uses bars that go down on the riders legs and waist instead of seat belts (science).
"Usually what it boils down to, like I said, is some kind of mitigation where a particular system is either not properly maintained or not properly inspected," he said, speaking generally of the cases his company has handled.
For the victim's family, potential civil lawsuits could include a wrongful-death claim brought through the victim's estate, while injured guests could have separate personal injury claims, depending on the circumstances, Lopez-Trigo said.
While the claims involve different legal rights and damages, he said the process for determining what happened and if someone is liable will likely be similar.
"While justice may mean different things to different parties, the path to that justice is likely to be similar in terms of finding some answers about how that happens," he said.
Lopez-Trigo said the closure of nine similar roller coasters shows how much remains unknown.
"Six Flags' decision to temporarily close nine more rides at six parks tells you that the company itself still doesn't know what's causing it," he said.
Woman reportedly ejected from roller coaster suffers serious injuries after being dragged along track: reports
Lopez-Trigo said the closure of nine similar roller coasters shows how much remains unknown. (scientific)
Determining the cause is needed not only for potential civil claims, but also to identify whether there are safety changes, Estlopez-Trigo said.
"When we've dealt with cases like this in the past, it's always been important to find out what happened," he said.
The investigation is still ongoing and authorities have not released an official cause.
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