$310M awarded to parents of teen killed on Orlando thrill ride

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A Florida jury has awarded $310 million to the parents of Tyre Sampson, a 14-year-old Missouri teen who died after being ejected from a ride at an Orlando-area amusement park in March 2022.

Tyre Sampson lawsuit judgment

According to The Associated Press,  Funtime Handels, the Austrian company behind the FreeFall drop tower ride from which Sampson fell to his death, was ordered to pay Sampson’s parents $155 million each.

The lawsuit alleged that Funtime could have installed a $660 harness that might have saved Sampson’s life but failed to do so.

Funtime was the only defendant named in the wrongful death lawsuit that did not choose to settle last year. The company reportedly never showed up to court proceedings, and the entire trial proceeded without them, according to news outlet 11 Alive.

The family had previously reached settlements with two other defendants, had the ride at ICON Park dismantled, and helped pass the Tyre Sampson Safety Act.

What happened to Tyre Sampson?

Tyre Sampson was a star football player, a good student and a caring son from the St. Louis area in Missouri. He was only 14 but was already 6-foot-5 inches feet, 5 inches tall and weighed 383 pounds.

Sampson was in town for a weeklong training camp as part of a group called the St. Louis Bad Boyz football club. The group had chaperones and were enjoying the Florida theme parks.

Sampson died during the spring break visit to ICON Park on March 24, 2022. He was riding the 400-foot-tall Orlando FreeFall when he slipped from his seat halfway down the ride and fell to the ground below.

The free-fall ride had been open to the public for just over a year when Sampson was killed. According to an operating manual for the ride, the weight limit was about 287 pounds.

Investigation discovered cause

An investigation by The Florida Department of Agriculture concluded that ride attendants adjusted the sensors on the ride manually to double the size of the opening for restraints on two seats, which resulted in Tyre not being secured in his seat correctly, according to an initial report by engineers on the investigation. There were several other “potential contributions” to the incident.

The family says their fight isn’t over. While the Tyre Sampson Safety Act addresses ride inspections, they are pushing for provisions requiring seatbelts and nationwide ride safety standards as their next steps.