Disney World has been given reprieve on one of the several accusations of safety negligence that have popped up in the past year. A jury decided on Monday that a Philadelphia man’s lawsuit claiming Disney’s Tower of Terror ride caused his 1998 stroke would not stand. Their verdict determined that there was no “dangerous condition on the tower ride called Tower of Terror on March 28, 1998, about which the Walt Disney World Co. either knew or should have known, by the use of reasonable care… .”
Marvin Cohen, now 80, filed his suit in 2002, saying he had no idea that the Tower of Terror was a high-speed thrill ride when he boarded it in 1998 with members of his family, including a granddaughter. He said one of the sudden drops might have caused his head and neck to move in such a way that he suffered a tear in an artery leading to his brain, and that led to a debilitating stroke a few weeks later.
A Disney spokesperson responded to the verdict, saying, “We’re pleased with the verdict. Safety is and always has been our primary concern. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a safe attraction.”
Cohen has 10 days to request a new trial and file a notice for an appeal.
