Six Flags Goliath roller coaster liability now turns on whether Hassan Kariem’s fatal fall from Goliath on Monday happened after the park followed Georgia safety laws. Kariem, 42, was thrown from his seat on the 200-foot-tall ride at Six Flags Over Georgia and died after slipping from his safety restraint.
Six Flags temporarily shuttered Goliath and nine other coasters across six of its theme parks as investigators began reviewing the incident. Lawyer Daniel Adamson said the inquiry will focus on the ride’s design, maintenance, on-the-ground operation, inspection logs, and maintenance records.
Daniel Adamson on Georgia law
Adamson said the central issue is whether someone knew, or should have known, what could have gone wrong. “The key question is not just what went wrong, but also if someone knew — or should have known — what could have gone wrong,” he said about the investigation.
He said there is a world in which Six Flags would not be liable if it followed local codes and regulations. That turns the case into a fact-specific review of what the park knew before Kariem fell, not just what happened during the ride.
Georgia ordinary care standard
A 1982 Georgia state supreme court case deemed amusement parks to have an ordinary care responsibility to guests. Adamson said that standard is different from the extraordinary diligence required of buses or trains in Georgia.
He described ordinary care as a rule that can allow for getting sick on a ride or having one’s head knocked around. But, he said, riders accept the thrill of a roller coaster, not the risk of being thrown from it.
Goliath inspection logs
Adamson said investigators will look at inspection logs and maintenance records, along with any prior safety complaints. “And did they have any knowledge of [problems]? Were there prior safety complaints? You want to look at the inspection logs, the maintenance records,” he said.
He added that the legal duty depends on the facts of each case. “It’s really context specific,” he said. “And you have to look at the facts of each case. … What reasonable duty of ordinary care has to be considered in the context of the activity?”
Six Flags liability question
The fall was described as a fatal ride ejection, yet Adamson said the park may still avoid liability if the record shows compliance with Georgia law. That leaves the decisive issue with the inspection and maintenance files now under review.
For Six Flags, the next test is whether those records show a preventable failure or a ride operation that met the ordinary care duty Georgia assigns to amusement parks. For Kariem’s family, the case may hinge on the same files that investigators are now pulling.
