The family of Tyre Sampson, a Missouri teen who was killed while riding a Florida amusement park ride, has been awarded $310 million.
On Tuesday (December 3), an Orange County jury in Florida reached the verdict against ride manufacturer Funtime-Handels, awarding Sampson's family $310 million in damages, per USA Today.
Sampson, 14, fell to his death from the FreeFall ride while visiting ICON Park in Orlando during spring break in March 2022. Funtime-Handels manufactures rides that are installed in theme parks across the world. The FreeFall ride that killed Samspon had no seatbelts, attorney Bob Hilliard said. Sampson was ejected from the ride and fell several hundred feet to his death.
“They go to all these trade shows to sell this very dangerous ride and what they chose not to do … is put seatbelts on the seats, which would've kept Tyre in,” Hilliard said.
Sampson, a star football player at his middle school, was 6-foot-5 inches tall and weighed over 380 pounds. The ride's weight limit was reportedly 285 pounds. Sampson's family previously reached a settlement with ICON Park and the ride operator.
Hilliard Law Firm called the verdict against Funtime-Handels "landmark."
“The lawsuit highlighted glaring safety oversights, including the absence of seat belts − a safety enhancement that would have cost just $22 per seat or $660 in total for all seats,” the law firm said in a statement.
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