Passengers 'stranded' on “Harry Potter ”ride for over an hour sue Universal Studios, claiming 'severe injuries'

Maureen Lee Lenker
·3 min read
6

Four individuals have filed a lawsuit against the Southern California theme park after allegedly incurring medical expenses and "general pain and suffering."

Accio lawsuit!

Four people are suing Universal Studios Hollywood after a less-than-magical experience on a Harry Potter-themed ride.

According to a complaint filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court and reviewed by Entertainment Weekly, plaintiffs Debra Biane, Gerald Scott Biane, Josh Taylorson, and Sami-Joh Goldberg are suing for damages, alleging liability, negligence, and the infliction of emotional distress.

The complaint says that on April 7, 2022, the plaintiffs were riding Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a theme park attraction that takes guests through notable locations in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, including the Great Hall, the grounds of Hogwarts, and the Quidditch pitch.

While on the ride, the plaintiffs say, the attraction came to an abrupt halt, leaving them stranded and hanging in the air for more than an hour. The complaint says their cart was at first stuck "midair at an angle that left them tilted backward and to the right" for approximately one hour, and then restored to an upright position for 30 more minutes before the plaintiffs were able to exit the ride.

The plaintiffs maintain that they "were left in a position which subjected them to severe injuries for an unreasonable and dangerous amount of time," and that they incurred "medical expenses and general damages in an amount to be proven at the time of trial."

A spokesperson for Universal Studios Hollywood told EW on Tuesday, "We do not comment on pending litigation."

<p>Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty</p> Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

On the day of the incident, local news station KABC-TV reported that a Los Angeles power outage left about a dozen guests stuck on a a Transformers-themed ride at Universal, in addition to affecting the Harry Potter ride.

Plaintiffs in the Harry Potter lawsuit claim that the park "breached [its] duty of care" by "failing to provide proper backups such as generators in case of a power outage; failing to properly maintain backups such as generators in case of a power outage; permitting rollercoasters to operate when rolling power outages were occurring; [and] failing to warn customers of rolling power outages."

Plaintiffs Debra Biane and Gerald Scott Biane, who are married, are suing for emotional distress, which they claim they sustained "as a result of watching the other spouse being injured."

Their complaint alleges that Debra's injuries required "significant medical treatment, including surgery," which have since prevented her from being able to "perform the duties of a wife," including assisting in maintaining the home as well as providing love, sexual relations, moral support, and companionship.

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey opened at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2016 and is one of the park's most popular attractions. It uses a vehicle in which riders' legs dangle below them to simulate flight. The attraction is billed as a "thrill" and "motion simulation" ride and takes passengers through Hogwarts in the dark.

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.