Man Sues Disney For Water Slide Injury, Says He Exceeded Weight Limit And Hit ‘Exhilarating Speeds’

A man who exceeded the weight limit for a water slide at Walt Disney World is now suing the park, citing injuries he sustained during his visit to the amusement park.

Eugene Strickland filed the complaint on May 29, per the New York Post, and is seeking $50,000 in monetary damages.

The plaintiff claimed he suffered “catastrophic” injuries after riding the Downhill Double Dipper at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Waterpark in July 2021. It says he “became momentarily airborne” and hit “exhilarating speeds,” which caused “permanent catastrophic injuries as a result.”

He claims this caused his inner tube to come out from underneath him and made him “land with force onto the hard plastic surface of the slide.”

Strickland claims he weighed 334 pounds at the time of the incident, but the weight limit for the ride was 300 pounds. It’s not clear based on the lawsuit whether he was aware of the weight restrictions when he got onto the ride.

The Disney World website describes the attraction as “side-by-side high-speed slides.”

“A retractable starting gate is all that stands between you and victory. Anticipation builds as you and your opponent wait on inner tubes at the top of twin enclosed waterslides. Suddenly, the gates retract—and you’re off,” the ride description says. “Disappear into a black hole and plummet 50 feet downhill at exhilarating speeds. Hurtle through darkness, then emerge just in time for the big splashdown.”

The plaintiff claims to have “suffered serious bodily injury and resulting pain and suffering, disability, scarring, disfigurement, mental anguish, [and] loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life” that he still grapples with today.”

Strickland also claims Disney World is negligent for failing to establish safe premises, which resulted in his injuries.

In a statement to People on behalf of Strickland, Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorney Alberto Oliveri said, “Our client was severely injured on a ride at Disney’s Blizzard Beach. He has filed a lawsuit alleging that it was the defendant’s lax safety measures and oversight that contributed to those injuries. We are pursuing justice for him and working to hold Disney accountable for their alleged negligence.”

This isn’t the only water park-related lawsuit pending against Walt Disney World. A Long Island mother is seeking $2 million for injuries she allegedly sustained from a “mammoth” wave at Typhoon Lagoon.