Over the past five years, almost 500 people have filed lawsuits against Florida’s major theme park companies (Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Busch Entertainment Corp.) and in 101 of those cases, plaintiffs have claimed serious and debilitating injuries—even death—from roller coasters and other high-impact rides. Yet not a single one of those cases ever reached trial. It seems that the parks are more than happy to settle out of court and keep all the details secret than go before a jury and invite public scrutiny of their potentially dangerous attractions. “We take the safety of our guests as our highest priority,” said Universal spokesman Tom Schroder. “That said, we’re not going to discuss our legal strategies or the details of specific cases.”

Orlando Sentinel