Disney Settles Lawsuit With Guest Who Slipped And Fell On Pirates Of The Caribbean

With numerous theme parks, resorts, and attractions, injuries happen all the time at Walt Disney World, and some are a bit more serious than others. Some people choose to take things further than just being accommodated that day and file lawsuits seeking damages and money. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has recently settled one such lawsuit, and it came from a guest who slipped and fell on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction back in 2015.

According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, Lynn Barrett stated she slipped and fell in one of the boats of the popular Magic Kingdom attraction. It appears as if there was some water in the boat she stepped, slipped, and fell on.

The lawsuit had claims from Barrett that Disney should have done a better job at warning guests and also at inspecting the boats for safety. Upon slipping on the wet surface, Barrett suffered a twisted ankle and bruised a portion of the left side of her body.

Disney stated that there are signs advising guests they may get wet and that the water on Pirates of the Caribbean is obvious and not a “hidden danger.” Disney said it is the “very nature” of a water ride that a guest riding it may end up wet.

Lynn Barrett’s lawsuit said she was suing for more than $15,000 on the grounds of hospital expenses, mental anguish, and a loss of earnings along with other things. She has had numerous doctor visits, and a few surgeries, and one doctor even diagnosed her with “complex regional pain syndrome.”

Court documents had statements from Mark Nonni, Barrett’s Tallahassee-based attorney, which said this injury could end up causing his client much more than that.

“…under the best case scenario Ms. Barrett is looking at approximately $318,033.26 in future medical expenses, and under the worst case scenario she’s looking at approximately $466,470.76 in future medical expenses.”

The exact terms of the settlement have not been released, but the case has been closed between Barrett and Disney.

All theme parks are required to disclose injuries that require hospital stays of at least 24 hours, and Walt Disney World did not do so as Lynn Barrett wasn’t hospitalized right away. Over the past two years, she has reportedly had numerous hospital visits of which she claims were the result of the injury on Pirates of the Caribbean. Either way, the case has been settled and is complete from this point forward.

[Featured Image by Danny Cox]