Three people sued Six Flags Magic Mountain on Tuesday over allegations that the X2 roller coaster caused catastrophic brain damage, widening the legal pressure on a ride that has been closed since mid-July. The filings add to claims from more than 100 other people who say they were hurt on the attraction, putting fresh scrutiny on whether the park will keep it shut or try to reopen it after the lawsuits play out.
The case is centered on Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, who remains hospitalized after a July ride in which two women suffered brain hemorrhages and underwent emergency surgery. Doctors attributed those injuries to a rapid acceleration-deceleration event on the X2, a detail that helps explain why the ride is now drawing so much attention from riders, lawyers and investigators alike.
Gary Dordick said at a press conference on Tuesday that the riders went to the park for family fun and instead suffered catastrophic brain damage. Christopher Bulone said experts have told the legal team the ride was built to be more dangerous than others because of the way it layers more variables and forces into the experience. The park’s own description calls the X2 a fifth-dimension wing roller coaster, with seats that rotate 360 degrees and flip as the ride reaches speeds of up to 76mph.
That design is at the heart of the dispute. Six Flags says on its website that it has a comprehensive safety program with rigorous inspections and industry-leading standards, including daily inspections and reviews by third-party ride inspectors, state and insurance inspectors, and company engineering and safety experts. The company also says it does not comment on pending litigation. Those reassurances sit uneasily beside the allegations, which now range from serious injury claims to two deaths mentioned in an August investigation that found more than a dozen reports of severe harm tied to the X2 over nearly 20 years.
For now, the ride remains closed and the lawsuits are the clearest sign that the pressure is not easing. What happens next is whether Six Flags keeps the X2 down through the legal fight or decides that the scrutiny can be managed and the coaster can return to service, a question that matters most to the injured riders still waiting for answers.
