A federal jury has awarded $7.25 million to a 74-year-old Arizona woman who suffered a spinal injury while exiting the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Pamela Morrison was visiting the theme park with her grandson in September 2022 when her safety harness failed to secure properly, prompting employees to ask her to exit the ride. While stepping off the moving walkway onto solid ground, Morrison slipped and fell, sustaining a spinal compression fracture, according to her lawsuit.
Alleged Negligence Led to Life-Altering Injury
Morrison’s attorney, Taylor Kruse, argued that Universal Studios employees should have stopped the moving walkway to allow Morrison to exit safely.
“It would have cost them four seconds to stop it, but instead they wanted to keep the ride moving no matter what, to make its quota of 1,800 riders per hour,” Kruse said.
The jury found that the failure to stop the walkway created dangerous conditions that led to Morrison’s injury.
Theme Park Blamed Victim, But Jury Disagreed
Lawyers for Universal Studios Hollywood claimed Morrison was distracted by her grandson and didn’t watch where she was stepping, suggesting the fall was her fault.
However, after a three-day trial, the jury deliberated for four hours on Feb. 14 before ruling in Morrison’s favor.
The breakdown of the $7.25 million award includes:
- $250,000 for future medical expenses
- $2 million for past pain and suffering
- $5 million for future pain and suffering
A Life Forever Changed
Kruse emphasized the lasting impact the injury has had on Morrison’s life.
“The fall changed her whole life, and that’s what the jury saw. Obviously, we feel that this was a very just result,” Kruse said.
A request for comment from Universal Studios Hollywood regarding the verdict has not yet been answered.
