Those who have suffered brain injuries after riding the roller coaster X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain, as well as the families of those who have died from brain injuries after riding X2, may qualify to file a lawsuit and pursue financial compensation with the help of our experienced amusement park injury lawyers.
Riders have suffered documented brain injuries, including a death, after riding X2, a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA. Legal claims, including a wrongful death lawsuit filed in 2023, have followed several of these incidents.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is reviewing potential X2 head trauma and wrongful death claims for residents of California.
Call our experienced brain injury lawyers today for a FREE consultation at (800) 718-4658 or contact us if you or a loved one suffered a brain injury or died after riding X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. We have been handling amusement park accident and theme park accident claims since our firm was founded in 1990. Our team of lawyers and staff provide 24/7 availability and reliable communication, and when we handle your personal injury case, we will charge you no legal fee until we win your case.
Key Takeaways
- Over a dozen serious injuries have been connected to X2 over almost two decades, according to an August 2026 CNN investigation.
- A February 2026 California Court of Appeal ruling let a design defect claim linked with a 2020 brain injury proceed against the manufacturer of X2.
- Multiple defendants, including the park operator and the ride manufacturer, can be held liable in an X2 case.
- Riders with documented brain injuries and family members of riders who died after riding X2 may qualify to file a claim.
- California typically allows claims to be filed within two years of the date of injury or death, but there are some exceptions to this time limit.
Table of Contents
- Latest Update
- Brain and Neurological Injuries Reported After Riding X2
- Who Can File an X2 Roller Coaster Lawsuit?
- Who May Be Held Liable for an X2 Roller Coaster Injury?
- Compensation That May Be Available in an X2 Injury Claim
- California’s Filing Deadline for X2 Roller Coaster Injury Claims
- Speak With an X2 Roller Coaster Injury Lawyer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Six Flags X2 Lawsuit Updates
Latest Update
August 28, 2026 Update
A family from Garden Grove, CA has reached a settlement with S&S Worldwide Inc. and Six Flags Magic Mountain, resolving a lawsuit filed by Christopher Hawley’s family in August 2023.
Hawley rode the X2 roller coaster on June 23, 2022 with his brother and cousin.
After the ride ended, Hawley’s brother and cousin noticed him holding onto a rail and haltingly walking down an exit ramp. He allegedly mumbled that his head hurt when his cousin and brother came to his aid.
Hawley was rushed to a hospital, where it was shown by a CT scan that he had a catastrophic right subdural hematoma, and he died the following day, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was a wrongful death lawsuit, and the settlement’s financial terms have not been disclosed.
X2 features speeds up to 76 MPH and a 215-foot drop. However, the roller coaster is also known for violent shaking and intense rapid movements.
Brain and Neurological Injuries Reported After Riding X2
X2 has faced numerous allegations of injuries since it opened in 2002.
Numerous instances of severe brain injuries have been linked with the X2 roller coaster:
- X2 was shut down after two women suffered severe brain injuries following rides on X2 in July 2026. The two women required emergency brain surgeries for acute subdural hematomas. X2 has been closed indefinitely while Cal/OSHA has been investigating it.
- Christopher Hawley died from a brain injury, suffering a catastrophic subdural hematoma on June 23, 2022 after riding X2. Six Flags settled the resulting wrongful death lawsuit in August 2026.
- A lawsuit alleges that Sheila Katerelos suffered a subdural hematoma after riding X2, leading to a five-day hospitalization.
- Hilda Farias, in 2010, died due to a brain abnormality after riding X2.
Who Can File an X2 Roller Coaster Lawsuit?
You may qualify to file an X2 roller coaster lawsuit if you or a loved one was diagnosed with one of the following after riding X2:
- Concussion
- Subdural hematoma
- Cerebrospinal fluid leak
- Other brain injury
In addition, family members of riders who died from brain injuries sustained on X2 may qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Potential claims are strengthened by formal diagnoses as well as documented medical treatments which connect injuries to X2 rides.
Eligibility depends on case-specific facts, such as when the ride happened, what medical records are available and any applicable filing deadlines.
Who May Be Held Liable for an X2 Roller Coaster Injury?
Six Flags Magic Mountain LLC and related park entities may face negligence and premises liability claims linked to ride operation, maintenance and what warnings were and were not given to riders.
S&S Worldwide, a manufacturer who supplied replacement trains for X2, may face design defect and product liability claims separate from the operational conduct of the park.
A February 2026 California Court of Appeal ruling in Katerelos v S&S Worldwide found that if the design of the train contributed to a rider’s brain injury is a triable issue.
Failure to warn theories may apply independently of design defect theories when parks do not adequately disclose known risks tied to specific rides.
Liability may extend to multiple defendants in the same lawsuit depending on how the ride was designed, manufactured and operated.
Operators of roller coasters may be classified as common carriers via California law. This classification requires them to use the utmost care and diligence to ensure passenger safety. Thus, Six Flags may be held liable when injuries result from their failure to use the utmost care and diligence to ensure the safety of their roller coaster passengers.
Compensation That May Be Available in an X2 Injury Claim
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury or died after riding X2, you may qualify for financial compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Wrongful death
Wrongful death claims may allow surviving family members to seek damages tied to funeral and burial costs as well as the loss of their relationship with the deceased.
The type and amount of compensation which will be available will depend on injury severity, medical documentation and your case’s specific facts.
California’s Filing Deadline for X2 Roller Coaster Injury Claims
California will typically allow you two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit against Six Flags under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1.
California wrongful death claims generally involve the same two-year filing period, which is measured from the date of death.
Some factors, like the age of the injured person or a delayed diagnosis, may affect how the filing deadline gets calculated.
Anyone who is considering filing an X2 injury lawsuit should confirm their filing deadline with a lawyer instead of relying on general timelines.
Speak With an X2 Roller Coaster Injury Lawyer
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is reviewing brain injury and wrongful death claims linked with amusement park incidents across California on a contingency fee basis. This means that we will charge you no legal fee until we win your case.
We maintain offices throughout California, including in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco and the Central Valley, so we can meet with injured riders and their families.
Call our experienced personal injury lawyers today for a FREE consultation at (800) 718-4658 or contact us to discuss your potential X2 brain injury or wrongful death claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Subdural Hematoma?
A subdural hematoma is bleeding which collects between the brain and its outer protective covering. It is usually caused by a sudden force or blow to the head.
Symptoms can include:
- Severe headache
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
- Permanent brain damage
- Death
Numerous lawsuits linked with X2 have involved a diagnosis of subdural hematoma.
Is Six Flags Magic Mountain Safe?
Six Flags Magic Mountain, just like any other amusement park that operates high speed rides, appears to be inherently risky, and X2 has a documented history of serious brain injuries.
Many injuries have allegedly occurred at Six Flags Magic Mountain as well as other amusement parks with roller coasters.
Numerous riders of X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain have reportedly developed subdural hematomas after riding the roller coaster, with one of them dying, leading to a wrongful death lawsuit.
Data suggests that any amusement park with roller coasters may not be safe.
A 2025 study published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine analyzed national emergency department data, finding that riders under the age of 18 suffered an estimated 6,382 roller coaster-related neurological injuries from 2004 to 2023, an average of 319 per year. 44.6 percent of the injuries were cervical spine injuries, and 30.6 percent of the injuries were head injuries. 37 percent of the head injuries were concussions.
A 2022 clinical case series published in the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences found that 81 percent of 31 adults with dizziness or headache after a roller coaster ride reported a new or worsening headache. 20 percent of those patients had a cerebrospinal fluid leak.
Can You Sue for a Concussion?
Yes. You can file a personal injury lawsuit if you suffered a concussion due to the negligence of another party.
Examples of negligence include inadequate ride safety and defective restraint systems.
You may qualify to file a lawsuit if you suffered a concussion while riding X2.
What Evidence Do I Need for an X2 Roller Coaster Injury Claim?
Evidence that can support your X2 claim may include:
- Medical records documenting your diagnosis and treatment
- The date and time of the ride
- Any incident report filed with Six Flags Magic Mountain
Photos, videos and witness accounts can also strengthen your claim.
A lawyer at our firm can request additional records in order to gather evidence and make your claim stronger.
Six Flags X2 Lawsuit Updates
August 27, 2026 Update
Southern California surgeons have had to race to save the lives of two women in the span of under a week, according to a CNN investigation.
The women suffered subdural hematomas after riding the roller coaster X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. A subdural hematoma is the kind of severe injury that doctors find in patients following high-speed collisions or violent accidents that lead to the brain twisting and slamming inside the skull.
The CNN investigation found that the ride has been linked with over a dozen reports of hospitalizations and serious injuries over almost two decades. Among these casualties have been riders suffering life-altering disabilities, died or fell into comas. The investigation found that park officials have long received complaints about neck and head injuries sustained after riding X2.
Three neurosurgeons who treated the two injured women emailed CNN, saying that, in their professional opinion, the subdural hematomas were caused by “traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration” events experienced while riding X2.
According to the CNN investigation, a lawsuit was filed as far back as 2009, alleging that a 62-year-old man suffered a traumatic brain injury while riding X2 with his daughters.
February 17, 2026 Update
A California appeal court has reversed a summary judgment in Katerelos v. S&S Worldwide, allowing a design defect claim linked with a February 2020 brain injury suffered while riding X2 to proceed.
The summary judgment was reversed because:
- A triable issue was raised regarding if X2 contributed to or caused the brain injury.
- S&S failed to meet the burden of establishing that X2 wasn’t defective.
March 19, 2025 Update
A family has alleged that the ride X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain is responsible for their otherwise perfectly healthy 22-year-old son dying from a traumatic brain injury, according to a lawsuit.
The lawsuit makes allegations of potential design defects as well as failure to warn with regards to X2.
According to the lawsuit, X, as the roller coaster was originally known, did not open until January 2002 because of design flaws.
It is alleged that Arrow Dynamics filed for bankruptcy due to Six Flags expanding the scope of the roller coaster from the original specifications, and that Six Flags finished constructing the ride. Because of this, the lawsuit claims, the ride ended up not being as smooth as it was designed to be. The lawsuit claims that X2’s design led to serious head injuries because of this.
The lawsuit alleges X2 was troubled by subsequent issues regarding functionality, leading to it being shut down for changes in design in June 2002, and again in December 2007 for the purpose of a redesign.
The lawsuit claims it opened again as X2 in 2008, broke down again in September 2013, and has been reopened with one train since 2014.
The lawsuit alleges that when Hawley and two family members went on the ride in June 2022, it jerked riders around like they were rag dolls, and violently, abruptly and suddenly jolted to a halt as the ride ended.
Once Hawley exited X2, he walked off haltingly, clutched a rail and collapsed, according to the lawsuit, which claims he passed out, never regaining consciousness.
Hawley was allegedly taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed by emergency room doctors as having a catastrophic right subdural hematoma. His condition ended up gradually deteriorating to brain death, according to the lawsuit.
Hawley’s death was ruled by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner to be an accident that was caused by blunt head trauma sustained while riding X2.
The lawsuit alleges that park guests and staff have complained about X2 before, and that previous litigation has occurred.
