Magic Mountain X2 lawsuits allege catastrophic brain injuries
Six Flags’ X2 roller coaster is at the center of lawsuits claiming the ride contributed to serious brain injuries.
Fox – LA
Multiple Six Flags Magic Mountain visitors have sued the amusement park and claimed a roller coaster led to brain shifts and other life-changing injuries, according to court documents and lawyers representing the plaintiffs.
The roller coaster, called the X2, is at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, about 37 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The lawsuits come after CNN conducted an analysis of medical records, depositions and legal filings and found that dozens of people suffered injuries from the X2 roller coaster over the past two decades. There have been at least two deaths, and some riders sustained life-changing disabilities, the outlet reported in August.
Since last month, Los Angeles-based law firm Dordick Law Corp. has filed at least four lawsuits on behalf of park visitors who say they were injured, and said they represent more than 100 people who have been injured after boarding the ride.
On Thursday, Sept. 24, Six Flags referred USA TODAY to the company’s ride safety webpage. According to the company’s website, Six Flags’ safety program includes independent third-party ride inspection, insurance inspectors, Six Flags engineering and corporate safety experts, and international ride operator training and evaluations.
The park closed the ride on July 12, according to a statement sent to USA TODAY this week. The company has declined to comment further on the allegations due to pending litigation.
Here’s what we know about the lawsuits riders have filed against Six Flags after riding the X2 roller coaster.
X2 can go almost 80 mph
The X2 first opened for season passholders in 2001, and then to the general public in early 2002, according to Coasterpedia and Roller Coaster Database.
The ride has a thrill rating of 5 on Six Flags’ thrill scale, with 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.
The park describes the ride as “a right of passage for the ultimate daredevil,” calling the wing roller coaster “downright scary.” The coaster has 360-degree rotating seats and head-first, face-down drops.
The roller coaster reaches a top speed of 76 miles per hour and elevates 200 feet.
Colleagues noticed lawyer’s cognitive and behavioral changes after ride
The lawsuits lay out a timeline in which they accuse Six Flags of knowing the ride has hurt visitors and then failing to alert the public of potential injury risks.
Among those suing Six Flags is Patrick Plumlee, whose lawsuit was filed on Sept. 10. Plumlee, who is represented by Dordick Law Corp., rode the X2 in September 2024 and was “violently thrown around,” the lawsuit reads. Plumlee’s head banged against the headrest, leading to a traumatic brain injury, the suit alleges.
Park visitor and lawyer Michael Wilk made similar complaints in his lawsuit, filed on Sept. 21, in which he said he visited Six Flags in February 2026 with his daughter and grandchildren. During the X2 ride, his “head began slamming violently against the headrest of his seat,” according to the lawsuit. Once he got off the ride, he felt sick, had a stabbing pain in his head, felt fuzzy and had trouble walking, the suit says.
Wilk said he thought his symptoms would go away on their own, but as weeks went by, colleagues noticed “a continuing decline in his cognitive function and became alarmed.” They encouraged him to see a doctor. He then underwent a brain MRI, which revealed that he had intracranial bleeding, swelling and a shift of the brain.
Doctors performed an emergency embolization procedure, but it didn’t stop the bleeding. He had to undergo two separate surgeries to relieve the pressure the bleeding was causing on his brain. He still has headaches, confusion, dizziness, memory loss and personality changes, he said in the lawsuit.
Daughter said mother had ‘vacant stare and her mouth open’ after ride
Pamela Guillen went to Six Flags on July 5, 2026, with her daughter Camille Marquez to celebrate Marquez’s birthday. They rode the X2.
“When X2 returned to the station, Camille looked at her mother and saw her sitting with a vacant stare and her mouth open,” the lawsuit reads. “Camille initially thought Pamela was joking. She quickly realized that something was seriously wrong.”
Guillen tried to get off the ride but was confused and unable to walk properly, according to the lawsuit. She stumbled after getting off the ride and then collapsed. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors conducted a scan and found a massive intracranial hemorrhage and life-threatening traumatic brain injury. She has since had multiple brain surgeries, the suit reads.
In Guillen’s lawsuit, her family said Six Flags knew of the injury but still allowed the ride to run without investigating. The lawsuit also alleges that Six Flags knew the ride had led to other injuries long before Guillen’s injuries in July 2026, including a June 2022 incident in which Christopher Hawley, 22, got off the ride and complained of head pain, collapsed and then lost consciousness. Doctors found an intracranial hemorrhage and a brain shift. Doctors performed surgery on the man, but he died the next day.
Hawley’s family filed a lawsuit against Six Flags, which has since agreed to a settlement, reported television stations KTTV-TV and KTLA-TV.
Woman left ‘profoundly disabled’ nearly a week after another rider was hurt
Six days after Guillen’s injuries, on July 11, 2026, Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode the X2 with her two siblings, according to a lawsuit filed on Sept. 21.
Greer-Wilkinson “was subjected to sudden, violent, erratic, and excessive forces,” and upon exiting the ride, she was confused and no longer could walk normally, according to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
She underwent multiple surgeries and is now “profoundly disabled” and bedridden. She is on a ventilator and cannot speak or move on her own, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs suing Six Flags are seeking money to cover past and future medical bills, lost wages and compensation for pain and suffering.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.