A day of enchantment at Universal Studios Hollywood took a tragic turn for a 74-year-old woman, ending in a $7 million jury award after a harrowing accident on the Harry Potter: Forbidden Journey ride. What was meant to be a thrilling experience left Pamela Morrison with a severe spinal injury, igniting a legal battle that exposed critical safety concerns. Read on to discover how a seemingly ordinary theme park visit led to a life-altering injury and why the jury found Universal Studios responsible.
Pamela Morrison vs Universal Studios Hollywood
In September 2022, Pamela Morrison was preparing to ride the popular Harry Potter: Forbidden Journey attraction with her grandson when she was asked to exit after her safety harness failed to lock properly. While stepping from a moving walkway onto solid ground, she slipped and fell, resulting in a spinal compression fracture, according to her lawsuit.
Morrison’s attorney, Taylor Kruse, argued that the injury could have been prevented if park employees had stopped the moving walkway to ensure a safe exit.
“It would have cost them four seconds to stop it, but instead they wanted to keep the ride moving no matter what, to make its quota of 1,800 riders per hour,” Kruse said Tuesday.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s legal team countered that Morrison was distracted by her grandson and failed to watch where she was stepping, placing the blame on her.
After a three-day trial, the California jury deliberated for four hours on Feb. 14 before ruling that the theme park was responsible for the hazardous conditions that led to Morrison’s fall. The jury awarded her $250,000 for future medical expenses, $2 million for past pain and suffering, and $5 million for future pain and suffering, according to Kruse.
“The fall changed her whole life, and that’s what the jury saw,” Kruse said. “Obviously, we feel that this was a very just result.”
Universal Studios Hollywood has yet to comment on the outcome of the lawsuit.
Are there similar lawsuits against Universal Studios Hollywood?
Yes, there have been lawsuits against Universal Studios Hollywood similar to Morrison’s.
Since its April 2016 debut, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey has been a centerpiece of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Wizarding World. Marketed as a “thrilling adventure” featuring “state-of-the-art technology,” the ride promises an immersive flying experience.
The attraction features suspended seating, where passengers’ legs dangle freely while secured by an overhead harness. This design enables dynamic, multi-directional movement, simulating the sensation of soaring through the air.
However, this immersive experience has not been without controversy.
In April 2022, just five months before Morrison’s incident, four passengers filed a lawsuit against Universal Studios, alleging they were stranded when the ride abruptly stopped. According to court documents obtained by People, their ride vehicle was left suspended midair, tilted backward and to the right.
The passengers reported being trapped in this precarious position for an hour, followed by an additional 30 minutes in an upright position before being safely evacuated. They claimed the incident resulted in “severe injuries” that required “significant medical treatment, including surgery” and attributed their suffering to the park’s “negligence.”
As of this writing, the lawsuit has yet to reach a conclusion.