DL Jungle Cruise crash lawsuit

[Tom Morrow]

Disneyland Jungle Cruise crash lawsuit

Disneyland Sued For Negligence in Jungle Cruise Crash Orange County Weekly In Feb. 2010, a Southern California couple claims the that popular Jungle Cruise boat ride really was perilous, and the skipper wasn't just daring but recklessly speedy before the boat crashed. Those allegations are contained in a Feb. 3 lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court by Jeffrey and Maria Lee, who claim they were seriously injured in the accident. "[The couple] noticed the ride operator was driving the boat very fast," the lawsuit states. "As the Jungle Cruise ride approached the Hippopotamus area of the ride, the boat crashed straight into the island and trees." The crash threw the couple from their seats, they claim. In the seven-page lawsuit, Anthony F. Wiezorek, the couple's Long Beach private attorney, described the crash as "substantial" and the "negligent" cause of injuries that required medical attention. The file does not list specific injuries or medical expenses, however. Disneyland officials, bombarded every year with dozens and dozens of personal injury lawsuits, haven't yet filed a formal response to these latest allegations. Superior Court Judge Kirk Nakamura will handle the case. by R Scott Moxley complete article

Related Article:

What happens when things actually do sort-of, kind-of go horribly wrong at a Disney theme park
Jim Hill Media

Submitted by Ezra

[lpetiti]

I didn't think it was possible to speed these boats. And aren't they on tracks?

[Ezra]

I didn't think it was possible to speed these boats.

It is possible to speed the boats, but I doubt their top speed is very fast. But if the boat half empty, it could be a problem.

—

And aren't they on tracks?

They certainly are, but it's possible for them to derail or become disconnected. If you read the second half of the Jim Hill article:

What happens when things actually do sort-of, kind-of go horribly wrong at a Disney theme park
Jim Hill Media

...there's an eyewitness account. I imagine this is a very rare occurrence, so is probably the exact same incident the suit is about. That's why I added the Jim Hill article to this post. I thought it sounded awfully familliar.

[Wedbliss]

If you read the second half of the Jim Hill article: ...there's an eyewitness account. I imagine this is a very rare occurrence, so is probably the exact same incident the suit is about. That's why I added the Jim Hill article to this post. I thought it sounded awfully familliar.

Good catch, Ezra. I think you're right that the incident in the lawsuit is the same one described in the Jim Hill article. Hill writes that the incident happened on Superbowl Sunday of 2010. That would have been February 7th. The suit was filed this year on February 3rd, just under the two years allowed for personal injury suits. I suppose there might have been multiple incidents during the same time frame, but that doesn't seem likely.

I wonder why the boats are allowed to go fast enough to derail. I have read other accounts of derailments (Mouse Tales?) and I wonder if they only happen at or near top speed. I suppose the boats might be designed to derail to avoid greater damage to the boat or track if something goes wrong. But why is it necessary for the boats to have the ability to go so fast?

Lawsuit aside, it drives me nuts when a skipper rushes his "crew" through the attraction. In decades past, I don't remember skippers opening up the throttle and gunning through the jungle. The last few years I have noticed it more and more, even on slow days.

[bodhran105]

Same here David. When I was on my trip, I'd say almost every boat left half-empty because they were such slow days. And these skippers barely ever brought that throttle back. They kept on going right through the jokes one by one, not a lot of time in between. I'd swear the only time they gave it any stop or reverse was when we were docking and getting out. Is it really necessary to jump the gun and just plow right on through the ride? I get on the Jungle Cruise to get off my feet and hear some good puns- not listen to a guy make jokes about his first joke over and over again and gun on through. I would love to see it slow down a bit.

[monkey4057]

Maybe it's just faulty memory or I never heard about it, but I don't recall any mention of an accident at that time.

[Ezra]

Maybe it's just faulty memory or I never heard about it, but I don't recall any mention of an accident at that time.

There was a thread about it back then. (Guess who started it?) But all we had was the Jim Hill article; nary a hint of lawsuit.

[TuesdayBear]

It's strange this was brought up just now. I was on Jungle Cruise last Sunday. We caught it during the evening parade, and there was no line at all. I can't remember the last time I just walked on the ride. But we seemed to speeding through the jungle as though piranha were chasing us. I know I've never been that fast before. However, the skipper was also the funniest skipper I can remember having, too. At the time, it seemed as though he were speeding up to make the ride seem more adventurous, though.

[Ezra]

If the account on Jim Hill is the same incident, it's probably the most damaging testimony against this couple's claim. It describes a short ledge of rock that bow of the boat struck against (not "onto the island and trees") and say that noone was thrown from their seats. Not only does it completly contradict the claim, but it's an unsolicited account by a disinterested third party. Attention: Disney Legal Dept. There's testimony in print right here.