The Briefing:
- Three new lawsuits accuse Six Flags Magic Mountain's X2 of causing catastrophic brain injuries, and the plaintiffs' firm says more than 100 additional riders have signed on, with filings expected in the coming weeks.
- X2 has been shut since the evening of July 12 while Cal/OSHA's Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit reviews it, and no public findings or reopening date have been released.
- Every claim is still an allegation: no court has assigned blame, and the park says it does not discuss pending litigation.
What the New Lawsuits Allege
Attorneys at Dordick Law announced the three suits this week, describing severe brain trauma among riders of the coaster in Valencia, California. According to ABC7 Los Angeles, the complaints trace design flaws to the ride's debut in 2002, and the firm says it signed over a hundred more people during the past two months who report some level of brain damage. CNN adds that those clients describe injuries from the last two years and that it could not independently confirm their accounts.
The lawyers also told CNN that hundreds of other riders contacted them but could not sue, because of filing deadlines, injuries unrelated to the brain, or missing medical records.
The Plaintiffs' Stories
Pamela Guillen, 40, took her family to the park on July 5 for her daughter's 16th birthday. X2 was their last ride. Afterward she felt disoriented, and her next memory, she says, is waking in a hospital roughly two weeks later following emergency surgery. Her stay lasted close to a month, ABC7 reported. Spanish-language outlet La Opinión reported that doctors found an acute subdural hematoma, and that Guillen still deals with daily headaches and fatigue.
Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode the coaster six days after Guillen. Her family says physicians warned them to prepare for the worst, and she remains in a respiratory hospital. Accounts of her condition differ: her parents describe efforts to wean her off a ventilator, while her lawyers call her semi-conscious, per CBS Los Angeles. The third plaintiff, a Los Angeles attorney, underwent multiple brain surgeries and says a disability now keeps him from practicing law.
Guillen also says nobody warned her about earlier injuries or deaths on the ride. Of the coaster's reopening, she told CBS Los Angeles, "I was still in a coma when they reopened the ride."
What Doctors, the Park and Ride History Say
Three neurosurgeons who treated Guillen and Greer-Wilkinson wrote that the injuries stemmed from a violent burst of acceleration and deceleration during the ride, according to CNN en Español. Six Flags has not responded on the merits; its spokesperson says only that X2 has been closed since the evening of July 12 and that pending cases are off limits.
The coaster has a long paper trail. FOX 5 San Diego, relaying CNN's findings, tallies over twelve accounts of grave harm and hospital stays tied to X2 since its opening. That number reflects reported incidents, not lawsuits. One of them was the 2022 death of Christopher Hawley, whose family sued; a confidential settlement followed, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported. The same outlet says a separate 2020 injury case is set for an August 2027 trial, now aimed at manufacturer S&S Worldwide after the park was dismissed from it in 2024.
About the Ride and the Inspection
X2 opened as "X" in 2002 and returned as X2 in 2008. It was the last coaster Arrow Dynamics designed and built, and its seats spin on their own axis while the train reaches 76 mph over a 3,600-foot course, KTLA reported. Cal/OSHA said in that report that its inspection was ongoing, and no conclusions have surfaced since.
What Spanish-Speaking Families Should Know
Coverage of the case has reached Spanish-speaking audiences through outlets such as CNN en Español and La Opinión, and Southern California's parks draw large Spanish-speaking crowds, so the practical details matter. Cal/OSHA's amusement ride unit takes accident reports and complaints, and the state's occupational safety division says it offers interpretation for its complaint process. Because attorneys say some would-be plaintiffs were shut out by time limits, anyone hurt on a ride should seek medical care right away, keep records, and ask a licensed attorney about deadlines. This is general information, not legal or medical advice.
Checklist Before Riding Intense Attractions
- Read posted health warnings at the ride entrance.
- Get checked promptly if you feel confused, dizzy or disoriented after riding, as Guillen describes.
- Confirm a ride's status on the park's official channels; X2 is still closed.
What Happens Next
Dordick Law expects to file more suits in the coming weeks, while Cal/OSHA's review of the two July incidents continues. Neither a reopening date nor a court finding of fault exists yet.
