Sampson family hopes case result will send resounding message to thrill ride industry
Orlando, FL – Following the one-day trial of the Estate of Tyre Sampson vs “FunTimes”, the Austrian-based manufacturer of the FreeFall ride that once towered over Icon Park in Orlando, a jury has passed a $310 Million judgement against the defendants. The trial was argued by Michael Haggard and Kimberly Wald of The Haggard Law Firm, Michael Richardson of Hilliard Law, and attorney Ben Crump
Through the trial Haggard led the jury selection process, witness testimony of Haggard Law client Nekia Dodd, and the closing arguments. Wald delivered the powerful opening statement to the jury and testimony of Tyre’s older brother James Knighton.
It took less than an hour before the jury returned the $310 decision to Judge Margaret Schreiber.
Sampson’s mother Nekia Dodd, father Yarnell Sampson, and oldest brother James Knighton were the only witnesses to testify. 14-year-old Tyre Sampson fell to his death from the FreeFall ride at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida, on March 24, 2022. The ride, a giant free-fall attraction, was defectively designed and altered due to improper manufacturing, leading to Sampson being ejected from his seat as the ride descended. A state investigation found Sampson’s seat was manually adjusted to accommodate his size and he slipped through the restraint as the ride was coming down. There was no SEAT BELTS installed on the thrill-seeking ride.
Multiple lawsuits were filed on behalf of Sampson’s mother, Nekia Dodd and father, Yarnell Sampson. In March of 2023 Orlando’s Icon Park and the operators of the ride, Orlando Eagle Drop Slingshot, settled the civil cases brought against them.
“No amount of money will remove my daily pain and bring my son back” says Sampson’s mother Nekia Dodd. “I pray that his legacy is saving other lives by shaking the thrill ride and amusement park industry into thinking about safety more than anything else.”
“We thank the jury for the resounding statement they made in the courtroom. Unfortunately, many companies and industries don’t begin to make change because of someone’s pain, they do it because it impacts their reputations and bottom-line. That is the hope here. That the combined result of the settlements and this verdict sends shockwaves around the world, so these companies exercise every creative option they have, to increase safety, not just thrills.”
Dodd’s attorney Michael Haggard
“Tyre’s legacy has already made a difference with the passage of the Tyre Sampson Safety Act in Florida and the removal of the Freefall ride from Icon Park. We join Nekia in the ongoing fight to improve safety standards in the thrill industry and trust the jury’s verdict will add fuel to that effort” says Kimberly Wald, another attorney who also represents Dodd.
NEWS CONFERENCE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING $310 MILLION VERDICT
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