Not all the exhilarated screams coming from the people enjoying the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom were those of joy or excitement. Germantown, Kentucky teenager Kaitlyn Lassiter has now testified that she screamed for the ride operators to stop the ride in vain. Nobody heard the teenager as one of the cables fell on her and her friends, coiling around Kaitlyn’s neck and almost decapitating her. By the time the malfunctioning ride was finally stopped and the girl rescued, both her feet were severed. She’s all of 14 years old.

Kaitlyn’s deposition, her first, was part of a discovery in the lawsuit her parents have field against Kentucky Kingdom. The amount claimed is unspecified. Her attorneys are looking into the possibility of having four people testify who claim that they witnessed problems with the ride before Kaitlyn’s horrific incident. On one such incident, the ride was stalled for 15 minutes because of cable problems. Whatever the problems were, it is obvious Kentucky Kingdom did a poor job of fixing it. The state Department of Agriculture, which inspects the ride, is conducting its own investigation into the incident.

Whichever way this case turns, there’s no denying that Kaitlyn’s life has changed dramatically. In the hours after the incident, surgeons managed to reattach her right foot. Her left leg had to be amputated just below the knee. She is being home schooled and walks with crutches or a walker, with great difficulty. Her parents say she’s battling depression, and experiences consistent pain in her back. There’s no doubt Kaitlyn is lucky to be alive, and any compensation that she receives will help her parents, both of whom have given up their jobs to be able to look after her, some financial relief.

Here in California too we have a Six Flags park, Magic Mountain in Valencia. In all the thrill of enjoying a ride, maybe we have forgotten to ask some basic safety questions of amusement park operators. What safety checks are at place at the California park? How often are rides serviced or maintained? Is there a guarantee that what happened in Kentucky will not be tragically repeated in our state?

Let’s hope we don’t have to wait for an accident to find out the answers.

If you have suffered a limb amputation or any other form of personal injury, you need the help of an aggressive California personal injury attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.