A Florida woman is suing SeaWorld Orlando after she was struck in the face by a duck and knocked unconscious while riding a rollercoaster at the park earlier this year.
According to numerous reports, the woman, identified as Hillary Martin of Orange County, was frequenting the park on March 24 when she decided to ride on the Mako roller coaster. Named after one of the ocean’s fastest sharks, Orlando’s “tallest and fastest roller coaster” can reach speeds up to 73 mph and climb up to 200 feet high, per the SeaWorld website.
While on the ride, Martin was hit by a duck which flew into the coaster’s path, causing her to lose consciousness. Her lawsuit, filed in Orange County, Florida on Monday by the firm Morgan & Morgan, claims Martin suffered “permanent physical injuries” and disfigurement, as well as mental pain and suffering.
“SeaWorld knew or should have known of this dangerous condition, as this was not the first reported bird collision to occur on one of their roller coasters this year,” Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan said in a statement to USA TODAY. “SeaWorld allegedly dangerously positioned a high-speed coaster over a man-made lake teeming with birds. We’re here to get justice for our client and ensure this allegedly dangerous design is fixed, permanently.”
Martin is seeking $50,000 in damages. Her lawsuit claims SeaWorld failed to “maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition” and “warn of any dangerous conditions about which it knew or should have known about.”
Court dates are locked in–but not for a while
A trial start date has reportedly been scheduled for November 8, 2027, with a pretrial conference on October 28, 2027.
“That lengthy timeline — nearly three years after the initial filing — reflects the complexity of personal-injury cases against large corporations,” writes Inside the Magic. “Both sides are expected to engage in extensive expert analysis, including biomechanics, ride engineering, and avian-behavior studies, to determine how the collision occurred and whether SeaWorld could have reasonably prevented it.”
SeaWorld responds to Martin’s filing
SeaWorld Orlando issued a brief, cookie-cutter statement regarding Martin’s lawsuit.
“The safety of [its] guests and employees is a top priority and [it takes] these situations seriously,” the company said. “We will not be commenting beyond that as this is pending litigation.”
The park isn’t going to say anything of note with an ongoing lawsuit, so this generic comment is not a surprise.
