Blizzard Beach Lawsuit Raises the Stakes for Water-Park Safety — and Offers a Lesson for Maine Tourists Injured on Vacation

Walt Disney World’s celebrated reputation for family fun is colliding with serious allegations of negligence after a Florida man filed suit claiming “permanent catastrophic injuries” on Blizzard Beach’s Downhill Double Dipper water slide. The complaint, lodged on May 29, 2025, by 34-year-old Eugene Strickland, seeks more than $50,000 and is scheduled for jury trial in May 2027. Although the incident happened in Bay Lake, the case holds real‐world implications for Mainers who suffer injuries while traveling — and it offers a timely reminder of the legal strategies Peter Thompson & Associates employs when corporate giants fail to keep their premises safe.

According to the lawsuit, Strickland, who weighed 334 pounds at the time, exceeded the ride’s posted 300-pound weight limit. While rocketing down the twin flumes, he allegedly “became momentarily airborne,” lost contact with the inner tube, and struck the slide’s hard plastic surface with such force that he now lives with lingering pain, scarring, and physical limitations. He accuses Disney of designing an attraction whose “exhilarating speeds” and steep transitions constitute a concealed hazard — one Disney knew about or should have known about — and of failing to warn him sufficiently or enforce its own safety rules. New York Post

Strickland’s attorneys, John Morgan and Alberto Oliveri, said in a statement that Disney’s “lax safety measures and oversight” contributed directly to the injuries and that the lawsuit aims to “hold Disney accountable.” People.com Disney has not issued a public response.

Strickland’s filing is not an isolated matter; it arrives on the heels of several high-profile claims involving Disney water attractions:

• Typhoon Lagoon wave pool suit (April 2025) — A Long Island mother says a “mammoth wave” dragged her across rough cement, causing severe leg lacerations, and is seeking $2 million. New York Post
• Humunga Kowabunga “painful wedgie” and brain-injury claims (2023–24) — Two separate actions allege life-altering injuries on the same 214-foot drop slide when proper supervision and ride design safeguards were allegedly lacking. New York Post

Together these cases highlight what plaintiffs call a systemic failure to match thrill-ride engineering with real-world guest safety — a point Maine juries and courts often find compelling in their own premises-liability deliberations.

In every premises-liability suit, the defendant’s first line of defense is to argue that the injured person “assumed the risk” or ignored posted warnings. Strickland’s weight is central because Disney will almost certainly claim he breached the clearly stated 300-pound limit. But weight-limit signage alone may not end the inquiry:

1. Reasonable Enforcement: Disney personnel allegedly allowed Strickland to board without verifying compliance. In Maine, as in Florida, a property owner’s duty of reasonable care sometimes includes active enforcement of known safety thresholds — especially where the risk of serious injury is high (see Estate of Gniadek v. Camp Sunshine, 2017).
2. Slide Design vs. Human Factors: Engineering experts will debate whether the slide’s geometry creates airborne moments even for lighter guests, raising questions about foreseeability and feasible design alternatives.
3. Comparative Negligence: Florida (where the suit is filed) and Maine both apply comparative fault rules. If a jury allocates, for example, 25 percent fault to the rider for exceeding the limit and 75 percent to Disney for poor design and weak enforcement, damages can still be significant.

At Peter Thompson & Associates we regularly represent Mainers hurt while traveling. Here are key takeaways:

• Preserve Evidence Immediately — Vacation destinations own or control most of the crucial evidence (ride logs, surveillance, maintenance records). Contacting counsel early allows us to send the necessary preservation letters before witnesses scatter and files vanish.
• Do Not Rely on On-Site Medical Staff Alone — Seek outside medical evaluation even if park medics clear you; latent injuries such as spinal damage or concussions often appear days later.
• Understand Jurisdiction — You may need to litigate in the state where the injury occurred, but our firm routinely partners with trusted local counsel and handles the complexity, including motion practice and expert retention.
• Comparative Fault Does Not End Your Claim — Even if you fear partial responsibility — e.g., misunderstanding a posted limit — Maine’s modified comparative fault rule means you can still recover as long as you are less than 50 percent at fault.

Based on similar ride-injury litigation, Disney will likely file motions challenging venue and liability, followed by aggressive discovery on Strickland’s medical history and weight-limit awareness. Both sides will commission biomechanical experts to model the forces generated when a 334-pound rider becomes airborne; those dueling reports will likely set the stage for mediation in 2026.

For Disney, the public-relations calculus may tip toward quiet resolution: every new water-park suit undercuts the “Most Magical Place on Earth” branding and invites regulatory scrutiny. For injured guests, protracted litigation often means years of mounting medical bills and diminished earning capacity — reinforcing why experienced counsel is essential.

Corporations as large as Disney build formidable defense teams, but size does not excuse negligence. Whether injury strikes on a Florida water slide, a Maine ski lift, or a neighborhood playground, the legal principles remain consistent: property owners must keep premises reasonably safe, warn of hidden dangers, and enforce their own rules. When they fail, victims deserve full compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and the everyday joys they can no longer enjoy.

If you or a loved one has been injured because a property owner put profit ahead of safety, call Peter Thompson & Associates for a free case evaluation. Our litigators combine Maine values with nationwide reach — exactly what it takes to stand up to giants, whether they run a seaside amusement park or a sprawling New England resort.