Injured on the Six Flags X2 Roller Coaster? Your Legal Options After a Brain Injury

You bought the ticket expecting a thrill, not a trip to the emergency room. But that’s exactly what happened to two women who rode the X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia this past July. One walked onto the ride and left it a medical emergency. The other remains in a coma.

If you or someone you love suffered a serious injury on the X2 — or on any amusement park ride in California — you may be wondering whether an accident this shocking can lead to a real claim. It can. At Walch Law, we help victims of major and minor amusement park accidents— call now to get started for free.

Key takeaways:

• Amusement parks owe riders a high duty of care, and negligent operation can lead to liability.
• Ride equipment manufacturers may also be responsible under product liability law.
• Families who lose a loved one may pursue a wrongful death claim.
• You generally have two years to file — but that clock is already running.

What Happened on the X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain

The X2 is billed as the world’s first “fourth-dimension” roller coaster. It reaches speeds close to 80 miles per hour while spinning riders’ seats a full 360 degrees. It’s marketed as one of the most intense coasters on the planet — and according to recent reports, that intensity may have come at a terrible cost.

In July 2026, two riders suffered severe brain hemorrhages within a week of each other. Pamela Guillen, 40, reportedly struck her head repeatedly against the headrest and lost consciousness after the ride. Surgeons saved her life by removing part of her skull to relieve pressure on her brain. She has had to relearn how to walk and talk.

Six days later, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, collapsed after riding the X2. Doctors performed emergency brain surgery, but she remains in a coma on a ventilator. Both women’s physicians reportedly linked the injuries to the violent acceleration and deceleration forces of the ride itself.

This wasn’t the first tragedy tied to the X2. In 2022, 22-year-old Christopher Hawley died roughly ten hours after riding it. A coroner found he suffered blunt head trauma in a “park ride accident,” and his family recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit against the park operator and a ride equipment supplier. The X2 has been closed since July 12, with no explanation offered.

Section summary: A pattern of severe head injuries — including deaths — has surrounded the X2, raising serious questions about how the ride was operated and maintained.

Premises Liability and Negligent Ride Operation

Here’s where the law can work in your favor. Amusement park rides in California are treated as common carriers, the same legal category as buses and trains. That matters, because common carriers owe passengers the highest duty of care — they must use the utmost care and diligence to keep riders safe.

That’s a demanding standard. When a park falls short of it, and someone gets hurt, the park can be held responsible. Negligence in this setting can take many forms:

• Failing to maintain or inspect the ride properly
• Ignoring known safety problems or prior injuries
• Keeping a dangerous ride open after warning signs appear
• Inadequate safety restraints or protective design
• Poor staff training or failure to screen riders for known risks

One detail stands out in the X2 reports: the ride reportedly stayed open even after the first woman was hospitalized. If a park knew — or should have known — that a ride was causing serious injuries and kept operating it anyway, that decision can become powerful evidence of negligence.

Key takeaway: California holds amusement parks to the highest standard of care. Keeping a dangerous ride running despite red flags can point straight to liability.

Product Liability Against Ride Equipment Manufacturers

The park isn’t always the only party at fault. Roller coasters are complex machines built and supplied by outside companies, and a defect in that equipment can cause catastrophic harm. That opens the door to a product liability claim.

Under California law, manufacturers, designers, and suppliers of a defective product can be held strictly liable for the injuries it causes. Strict liability means you generally don’t have to prove the company was careless — you need to show the product was defective and that the defect caused your harm.

A ride equipment claim might involve:

• Design defects, where the ride’s forces or restraints were inherently unsafe for riders
• Manufacturing defects, where a part was built or assembled incorrectly
• Failure to warn, where known risks weren’t adequately disclosed

Notably, the Hawley family’s lawsuit named not just the park operator but also a replacement coaster train supplier. That reflects a common reality in these cases: more than one company may share responsibility, and identifying each one can expand the compensation available to you.

Key takeaway: If defective ride equipment contributed to an injury, the manufacturer or supplier may be liable — even without proof of carelessness.

Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury Claims

Some amusement park injuries change a life forever. Others end one. California law provides paths for both.

Catastrophic Injury Claims

A traumatic brain injury is among the most devastating harms a person can suffer. It can permanently affect memory, mood, movement, and the ability to work or live independently. As one X2 rider described it, “I am not me anymore.” These cases often involve enormous medical costs — emergency surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and lifelong care — which is exactly why building in future costs matters so much.

Wrongful Death Claims

When a ride causes a death, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim. This type of claim allows certain relatives — typically a spouse, children, or other close family — to seek compensation for their loss. The Hawley family’s recent settlement shows these claims can move forward and resolve, even against large park operators and equipment suppliers.

Section summary: Whether an injury is life-altering or fatal, California law gives victims and families a route to hold responsible parties accountable.

California’s Statute of Limitations

Time is one of the biggest threats to your claim, so pay close attention here.

Under California’s statute of limitations, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. For a wrongful death claim, family members generally have two years from the date of death. Miss that window, and you can lose your right to compensation entirely — no matter how strong your case would have been.

There’s another reason to act quickly. Evidence in these cases can disappear fast. Ride maintenance logs, inspection records, incident reports, and witness accounts are all critical — and the sooner an attorney gets involved, the more can be preserved before it’s gone. With a ride closed and under scrutiny, the timing of your investigation can make a real difference.

Key takeaway: Don’t assume you have plenty of time. Two years passes quickly, and key evidence can vanish long before that.

Who May Qualify to File a Claim?

Not everyone hurt at an amusement park has the same footing, but many injured riders and their families do have the right to seek compensation. You may have a claim if:

• You were seriously injured on a ride due to negligent operation, poor maintenance, or defective equipment.
• The injury can be connected to the ride, typically through medical records and expert evaluation.
• You lost a loved one following an amusement park ride, in which case surviving family may pursue a wrongful death claim.
• A delayed injury surfaced after your visit — some brain injuries don’t show symptoms for hours or days.

If you’re unsure whether your situation qualifies, don’t count yourself out. A free case review is the fastest way to learn where you stand.

What Damages May Be Recovered

When negligence or a defective product causes serious harm, California law lets you seek compensation for the full scope of your losses — not just your first medical bill. Depending on your situation, recoverable damages may include:

• Medical expenses, past and future — emergency surgery, hospitalization, and ongoing treatment
• Future care costs, which can be substantial with a serious brain injury
• Lost wages for income missed during recovery
• Lost earning capacity if your injury limits your ability to work going forward
• Pain and suffering for the physical and emotional toll
• Loss of enjoyment of life when an injury changes how you live and connect with others

In wrongful death cases, surviving family members may seek compensation for the loss of financial support, companionship, and funeral and burial expenses. In cases involving especially reckless conduct, additional damages meant to punish that behavior may occasionally apply, though those are never guaranteed. The severity and permanence of the injury generally shape what a claim is worth.

What to Do After an Amusement Park Injury

A few early steps can protect both your health and any future claim:

1. Get medical care right away, even if symptoms seem mild — brain injuries can take hours or days to surface.
2. Report the incident to the park and request a copy of any report.
3. Document everything — the ride, your injuries, and what you remember, while it’s fresh.
4. Gather witness names and contact information.
5. Preserve your ticket and any records of your visit.
6. Talk to an attorney early, so evidence like maintenance and inspection records can be preserved.

The biggest mistake injured riders make is assuming a giant company like Six Flags can’t be held accountable — or that nothing can be done. Neither is true.

Key Takeaways

• California treats amusement park rides as common carriers, owing riders the highest duty of care.
• Both the park and ride equipment manufacturers may share liability.
• Families who lose a loved one may pursue a wrongful death claim.
• The two-year deadline is already running, and critical evidence can disappear quickly.

Talk to Walch Law Today — Free Consultation

Being catastrophically injured on a ride you trusted to be safe is terrifying and deeply unfair. You bought a ticket for a fun day out — not a brain injury, not emergency surgery, not a fight with a corporation and its insurers while you’re trying to heal. You deserve answers, and you deserve someone in your corner.

At Walch Law, we help injured Californians and grieving families investigate amusement park accidents, determine whether a ride was negligently operated or defectively designed, identify every liable party — from park operators to equipment manufacturers — preserve the maintenance and inspection records a strong claim requires, protect critical filing deadlines, and pursue the full compensation the law allows. We handle the legal fight so you can focus on your recovery and your family.

We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing out of pocket, and we only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you. There’s no financial risk in simply finding out where you stand.

Contact Walch Law today for a completely free, confidential consultation. Tell us what happened, and we’ll give you an honest assessment of your case and the next steps that make sense for you. Don’t wait until a deadline passes — reach out now. 1-844-999-5342