Teen claims roller coaster ride caused her to become paralyzed
Posted by Emma Neild on Sunday, May 31, 2015
A teenage girl claims that a theme park ride was so intense that it left her paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Now, five years after the incident, she's suing the theme park.
Emma Neild was 12 years old when she went on a roller coaster ride, the "Antelope," at Gulliver's World. She said that her head whipped back and forth so much on the ride that she suffered severe whiplash. She claims that the whiplash caused her to sustain spinal cord injuries that left her paralyzed from the waist down.
The 17-year-old spent five months in a hospital after attending the theme park in April, 2011. Doctors diagnosed Neild as being paralyzed from the waist down. However, Gulliver's World strongly denies any connection between the teen's paralysis and her ride on the Antelope.
Posted by Emma Neild on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Now, Neild's lawyers are suggesting that the Antelope thrill ride is a "danger to children." Gerard McDermott QC, the Neild family barrister, said that the teen experienced strong "oscillations" due to n intense force that "had the effect of forcing a passenger's head forwards and backwards." He said:
"Having ridden the rollercoaster and exited the ride, Emma immediately felt unwell, with soreness in her neck and back. She did not go on any further rides and became increasingly unwell. When she arrived home she vomited and was unable to stand or support herself. An MRI scan revealed she had sustained a serious spinal cord injury."
According to the lawyers, the seats and seat belts on the Antelope were inadequate for a child of Neild's small stature. They claim that these seats did not provide enough head support and restraint for the girl.
Posted by Emma Neild on Saturday, July 4, 2015
Neild is now wheelchair dependent and requires assistance with daily living. The results of the lawsuit against the theme park remain uncertain.
Watch this video to learn about a little girl who died after being thrown from a roller coaster:
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