A woman is suing Six Flags after she reportedly fell off the Superman: Ultimate Flight rollercoaster last year.
The complaint was filed on December 31 by Annabella Pearce in the Lake County, Illinois Circuit Court, according to PEOPLE.
Pearce says in her lawsuit that she visited Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois on July 12, 2024, and rode the Superman: Ultimate Flight rollercoaster.
The attraction’s ride cars hang seated passengers under the track in a “face down, head first” position, mimicking how Superman flies in comic books.
Pearce says the ride “failed to properly enter the off-loading platform areas causing [her] to fall off the ride,” which resulted in her injury.
The complaint does not include details describing how far she fell.
Pearce claims that she struck her right knee during her fall, which required her to seek “surgery, therapy, and other treatments.” Due to the injury, she says she suffered “physical and emotional trauma, pain and suffering, disability, loss of a normal life, and lost wages.”
The ride can reach speeds of up to 52 mph and includes a 100-foot drop.
Great America, LLC — which operates as Six Flags Great America — has been named as the defendant in the lawsuit. The complaint accuses the company of one count of negligence and one count of Res Ipsa Loquitor, which infers negligence from the existence of an accident.
Pearce is asking for damages in excess of $50,000, court costs, and other relief to be determined during a trial.
The Independent has requested comment from Six Flags Great America.
An initial hearing in the case is scheduled for March 5.
The Superman ride at Great America was involved in another incident in 2017, when 50-year-old Scott Barnes collapsed after exiting the ride. He died later at the hospital, according to the Chicago Tribune.
After leaving his ride car, Barnes said he wasn’t feeling well and collapsed on the walkway leading away from the rollercoaster.
Lake County coroner Howard Cooper ruled that Barnes’ death was natural, and not the result of any mechanical issue with the ride or negligence on the part of the park. No autopsy was ordered as Barnes’ doctor signed the death certificate at the hospital.
The ride was temporarily shut down in the wake of Barnes’ death, but was later cleared to resume operation.
