Key Takeaways
- A negligence lawsuit has been filed against Great Wolf Lodge and related entities following an alleged water slide injury at the Perryville, Maryland resort.
- The complaint alleges the plaintiff suffered serious neck injuries after striking the interior of the Mountain Edge Raceway slide while riding as instructed.
- The lawsuit further alleges the defendants knew of prior similar injuries but failed to adequately address the alleged danger before the plaintiff’s incident.
A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit against Great Wolf Lodge, Inc., Great Wolf Lodge of Perryville, GWR Perryville, LLC, and Great Lakes Services, LLC, alleging that negligence related to a popular water slide attraction at the Perryville, Maryland resort caused her to suffer serious and permanent injuries.
The lawsuit, filed by Andreozzi and Foote in the Circuit Court for Cecil County, Maryland, alleges that Natasha Collova was injured while riding the Mountain Edge Raceway water slide at Great Wolf Lodge Perryville on March 19, 2024.
Woman Alleges She Was Injured While Riding Mountain Edge Raceway
According to the complaint, Collova was a paying guest at Great Wolf Lodge Perryville and was using the Mountain Edge Raceway attraction in the manner instructed by the resort.
The lawsuit states that Mountain Edge Raceway is a multi-lane racing-style water slide that requires riders to descend head-first in the prone position while holding onto a foam racing mat. Riders are instructed to remain in that position throughout the ride.
The complaint alleges that while riding in Lane 2, Collova remained in the required riding position and otherwise used the slide in an intended manner. According to the suit, as she traveled through the slide, her head struck the upper interior portion of the slide, causing her neck to violently hyperextend, resulting in serious physical injuries.
According to the lawsuit, following the incident, she experienced head pain, neck pain, dizziness, and other symptoms requiring medical evaluation and treatment. She went to the emergency department later that same day.
Complaint Alleges Great Wolf Lodge Knew of Prior Similar Injuries
The central allegation in the lawsuit is that this was not an isolated incident.
The complaint alleges that Great Wolf Lodge and its affiliated companies had actual knowledge that previous guests had suffered similar injuries on the Mountain Edge Raceway attraction before Collova’s incident occurred. The lawsuit claims that, despite that knowledge, the defendants did not ensure the safety of Collova or other guests, disregarding the risk of injury to Collova and others.
According to the suit, as a direct and proximate result of the incident, Collova sustained serious and permanent injuries, incurred significant medical expenses, experienced physical pain, mental anguish, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment of life, and will continue to suffer such damages into the future.
Allegations of Negligence Against Great Wolf Lodge
The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants owed Collova a duty to use reasonable care to:
- inspect, maintain, operate, supervise, and control the Mountain Edge Raceway attraction;
- to identify and correct dangerous conditions;
- to warn patrons of dangers of which they knew or should have known through the exercise of reasonable care;
- and to otherwise protect patrons from unreasonable and foreseeable risks of harm.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants breached their duties by failing to:
- Maintain the attraction in a reasonably safe condition;
- Properly inspect the water slide;
- Properly operate the attraction;
- Identify, correct, or eliminate dangerous conditions;
- Warn guests of known hazards;
- Implement reasonable safety measures;
- Adequately monitor and supervise the attraction; and
- Correct dangerous conditions despite allegedly knowing the slide posed an unreasonable risk of injury.
Collova seeks damages for medical expenses, physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, lost wages, and other damages resulting from the incident.
Civil Lawsuits Following Serious Injuries
Businesses that invite members of the public onto their premises generally have a legal duty to exercise reasonable care to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition and to address known hazards.
A civil case involving serious injuries at a waterpark or resort may examine questions such as:
- Whether the operator knew of previous injuries involving the attraction;
- Whether appropriate inspections and maintenance were performed;
- Whether guests received adequate warnings about known risks; and
- Whether reasonable steps were taken to prevent similar injuries from occurring.
Every case depends on its own unique facts, and whether a business can be held legally responsible is determined through the civil litigation process.
If you or someone you love has been injured at Great Wolf Lodge or another amusement or water park, the attorneys at Andreozzi + Foote can help you understand your legal rights.
Contact our team today for a free, confidential consultation.
Image source: Mountain Edge Raceaway, via greatwolf.com
