Universal Loses Millions in the Harry Potter Ride Lawsuit

Universal just lost a huge lawsuit over injuries sustained on one of its Harry Potter rides. Here are all the details.

Harry Potter Ride Lawsuit

Universal has been battling a lawsuit over one of its Harry Potter rides. And now a jury has handed down its verdict.

In 2022, an Arizona woman was visiting Universal Studios Hollywood. During the visit, she sustained an unfortunate injury on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

As a result, she filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit in March 2024 seeking damages for unfortunate injuries she sustained while exiting the attraction. Now the jury has reached a verdict in this case.

What Happened

The woman was visiting Universal Hollywood and encountered a problem while attempting to ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The incident began when her safety harness failed to be secured at the start of the ride.

Since her restraint could not be secured, two employees asked her to exit the ride. According to details from the lawsuit, in a matter of seconds, she fell while attempting to exit using the ride’s moving conveyor belt to step onto a stationary surface in a dark environment. When she fell, she sustained a spinal injury.

The woman’s attorney claimed that the accident could have been prevented had employees utilized Universal’s safety precautions by stopping the moving conveyor belt to let the guest exit. The attorney also pointed out that no employees assisted her with exiting the dark attraction. Unfortunately, the resulting fall led to lasting painful injuries.

The Verdict

The jury ultimately sided with the injured woman. They deliberated for just four hours and returned with orders for Universal to pay over $7 million in damages.

A jury ultimately ordered Universal to pay out over $7 million in damages.

This is not the first time an injury has occurred on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. There is at least one other lawsuit involving the ride.

While parks like Universal and Disney have safety protocols to keep the parks running smoothly and safely, sometimes accidents do occur. You can read about an unfortunate incident at a water park HERE and an incident in the Magic Kingdom HERE.

Have you ever been on a ride that slowed to a stop and remained stationary for a few moments? It is possible park employees were helping a guest enter or exit safely. Enjoy your next visit and remember that some park rules may seem inconvenient, but they help keep everyone safe.

Source: Law 360