The parents of two girls injured in a fall from a Greene County Ferris wheel have filed a federal lawsuit against the ride’s owner.
Kayla and Briley Reynolds fell 40 feet from the Ferris wheel in August 2016, at the Greene County Fair. The ride is owned and operated by Dominic Macaroni and his company, Family Attractions Amusement of Valdosta, Georgia.
Both girls were taken to Niswonger Childrens’ Hospital by medical helicopter. Briley was hospitalized for two weeks, according to the lawsuit, and Kayla overnight. Briley’s neurological and psychological conditions have continued to affect her school work, the suit claims.
10Investigates: Report cites 'skid plate' in Ferris wheel incident
The Reynolds’ parents, Jason and Kimberly, claim negligence, misconduct, liability, and infliction of emotional distress on the part of ride-manufacturer High-Lite Rides, Macaroni, and Family Attractions.
In November, a report from the Federal Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed a bent ‘skid plate’ may have been to blame for the girls fall. The report, obtained by 10News through an open records request, detailed investigators' early focus on the bent plate, and preliminary findings that it could have caught on a cross bar, pitching the girls from the ride.
"The owner stated that the (gondola) baskets were heavy and required a forklift to move them long distances," the federal report summary states. "He said it was typical for the baskets to be slid on the ground during assembly and disassembly."
In 2013, a ride linked to Family Attractions LLC malfunctioned and injured a family at the North Carolina State Fair, according to a report by the North Carolina Department of Labor. Dominic Macaroni's son, Joshua, was charged in the incident and accused of tampering with safety mechanisms.
The ride was spotted after the incident at a fair in South Carolina, and is currently in use at fairs across the U.S., Macaroni previously told 10News. He said they have replaced the previous aluminum rivets with steel ones, and the ride was repaired by the manufacturer. He claimed inspecting the skid plates was not mandated by the ride's owners manual. Now, it's done during setup.
10News asked if Macaroni believes the new rivets will prevent a repeat incident.
"I hope so," he said. "I don't want anybody to get hurt on any of my rides."
The Reynolds’ ask for a jury trial, compensatory damages and unspecified punitive damages.