Faulty Lap Bar Blamed for Fall from Wisconsin Roller Coaster

The wife of Anthony Theisen, the man who was hurled out of the Opa roller coaster in Wisconsin as it rounded a turn, said that his lap bar malfunctioned and unlocked during the ride. A woman who had ridden in the same seat as Mr. Theisen 5 minutes before he fell from the car said that her lap bar was loose during the entire ride and she had to hold it down during the ride. (Channel3000.com, 3/26/14)

A news account relating the woman’s report does not specify whether she reported this malfunction to ride operators or to theme park managers before Anthony Theisen got on the roller coaster in that same car. Mr. Theisen was seriously injured from the fall, unresponsive and bleeding from the head after his fall. He was hospitalized, but we have no current information on his condition.

Wisconsin Accident bears Similarities to the Fatal Roller Coaster Fall at Six Flags

Does this sound familiar? Our roller coaster ride accident attorneys point out that the fatal fall from the Texas Giant roller coaster at Six Flags theme park in Arlington, Texas is also blamed on a lap bar that did not lock properly. And now Six Flags and the ride manufacturer are blaming each other for the tragic accident.

The managers of Mount Olympus, the indoor theme park in Wisconsin where Anthony Theisen’s roller coaster fall occurred, said that they had swapped out the roller coaster’s cars earlier that day. Reportedly the cars get swapped out once a year. And they said that they had tested the cars and that replacement parts were installed. The news report mentioning this event did not specify why replacement parts were installed, or on which cars, nor whether the “new” roller coaster cars were genuinely new, or merely a set rotated out periodically with the set that they replaced.

Police said that just after the accident, they tested the lap bars on the Opa roller coaster and all of them stayed locked except for the one on the seat from which Mr. Theisen was ejected during the ride. An officer said it appeared the lap bar (maybe the locking mechanism) was “stripped.” The ride operator, perhaps learning from mistakes made in the Six Flags accident, said that everything seemed “normal” with Mr. Theisen’s car, and that after the ride stopped, his lap bar was in the “secure” position. Our roller coaster ride accident attorneys remark that the Opa roller coaster remains closed as the accident investigation progresses.

Learn how to keep Your Family Safe on a Roller Coaster

Download your free report. And if you have questions about your own amusement park injury, contact the experienced roller coaster ride accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a free initial legal consultation. Our track record speaks for itself. We have helped the family of a fatal roller coaster fall victim make a multi-million dollar recovery following a tragic accident. Call us at 713-817-9500 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your free consultation.