Legal documents filed in federal court by the owners of a Ferris wheel that malfunctioned and injured three children at the Greene County Fair last year places blame on one of the juveniles for the accident.
Court documents obtained by WCYB-TV say negligence by a minor in the Aug. 8, 2016, incident that caused children to be ejected from the ride, causing serious injuries, in the response to a lawsuit filed against Family Attractions Amusement Company.
The girl was a passenger in the Gondola bucket with two other juveniles and the company said her actions "were the sole legal cause of the accident and any resulting injuries" when she was "standing up and rocking the basket/gondola," the response says.
Three separate suits were filed against Georgia-based Family Attractions last month, including one by the parents of the minor who said their daughter suffered back fractures, a lacerated liver and shoulder injury when she was thrown 40-feet from the ride once the bucket tipped over. One of the other girls suffered a brain injury.
A preliminary report issued by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission in November said missing or damaged parts including a hanging skid plate contributed to the accident. A final report is expected to be released soon.
