Woman Files Lawsuit Against Disneyland After Claiming She was “Run Over” by Goofy

A California woman has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Disneyland after she claims that a park employee dressed as the klutzy-but-lovable character Goofy accidentally ran into her while she was helping her daughter tie her shoe. After being struck by the park employee, the woman claims that they “fell on top of her” with all of their weight driving her into the hard cement. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff suffered “severe, traumatic, debilitating, and permanent” injuries as a result of the collision. In addition, she suffered emotional pain and suffering, the suit contends.

The plaintiff has filed a lawsuit against Disneyland and the unnamed park employee who allegedly caused her injuries. Generally speaking, employees who are dressed in large bulky costumes have “handlers” who help guide them through the park and avoid collisions with customers. Goofy’s handler is also named in the lawsuit.

The plaintiff is asking Disney to compensate her for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages.

Lawsuits against amusement parks 

Generally, amusement parks face two different types of lawsuits. Those are lawsuits related to premises liability, and lawsuits related to injuries that occur on their rides.

In terms of premises liability, the amusement park owes a duty of care to all of its patrons to maintain the grounds in a safe manner. Slip-and-fall lawsuits are the most common form of premises liability lawsuit. The customer argues that a dangerous condition on the premises caused them to slip or trip and the ensuing fall resulted in injuries. In a premises liability lawsuit, the customer must establish that the park was negligent. Negligence is proven by establishing that park employees knew about the dangerous condition or should have known about the dangerous condition had they exercised ordinary care.

In terms of injuries that occur on rides, amusement parks are strictly liable. These suits are generally filed under a theory of product liability. Both the park and the manufacturer of the ride can be sued in some cases. The plaintiff alleges that the park failed to maintain the ride in working condition, failed to warn park-goers about dangers associated with the ride, or that the ride was intrinsically defective.

In the case mentioned above, you have a unique allegation. The customer is alleging that she was “run over” by a park employee dressed as Goofy. In this case, both Goofy and Goofy’s handler owed the park-goer a duty of care to ensure her safety. However, Goofy failed to see the park-goer as he was traversing the park and ran into her, causing injury. Disneyland is vicariously liable for the negligence of its employees, so the park is liable for the accident.

Talk to an Oakland, CA Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

Have you suffered an injury at an Oakland business? If so, that business may be liable for your injuries. Call the Oakland personal injury attorneys at Venardi Zurada today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.

Source:

latimes.com/california/story/2024-04-12/goofy-sued-for-negligence-in-disneyland-collision