A mother from Long Island is suing Disney for $2 million after she claims a powerful wave at the Typhoon Lagoon water park in Walt Disney World severely injured her. Kimberly Panetta’s family vacation, which was meant to be a fun-filled trip to the happiest place on Earth, quickly turned into a nightmare when she was struck by a forceful wave while attempting to help her young daughter in the children’s area of the wave pool.
According to the lawsuit, Kimberly was “violently struck by a sudden and forceful wave,” as she grabbed her 3-year-old daughter from a water slide. The wave hit her so hard that she was reportedly “pummeled” and her body slid across the cement-like pool floor, causing significant “road rash” on her legs. Frank Panetta, Kimberly’s husband, described the horrifying moment, saying, “She would have definitely been hurt had my wife not held her up and taken the brunt of the injury,” adding that Kimberly skidded across the concrete for “15 or 20 feet.”
A Ruined Trip
Kimberly’s injuries were so severe that walking became difficult, and her leg was left “throbbing” in the middle of the night, ruining the rest of the family’s highly anticipated trip. “The trip was ruined, and she was stuck limping around applying bandages, salves, and creams,” the court documents explain. “I couldn’t even go in the pool where we were staying; I had to stay inside. Everything was completely ruined,” Kimberly added, describing the emotional and physical toll of the injury.
The Panettas are claiming that Disney failed to provide adequate safety measures in its wave pool and are seeking $2 million in damages. They argue that Disney’s negligence led to Kimberly’s injury and the cancellation of their planned activities. Despite the severity of the injury, Disney reportedly only offered a modest $250 credit to the family as compensation, which they deemed insufficient.
Who is in the Wrong?
In their legal filing, the Panettas assert that the wave at Typhoon Lagoon was uncontrolled and that Disney should have been more proactive in monitoring the safety of its attractions. They are requesting compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and the emotional distress caused by the accident, which disrupted their vacation.
This lawsuit highlights growing concerns about the safety of water attractions at major theme parks, especially regarding the strength of waves and the potential for injuries. As the case progresses, Disney will likely face increased scrutiny over its water park safety protocols and how it handles guest injuries.
Gotta love these money hungry people! What did you think wavebpool meant?
People need to start taking responsibility for themselves. This is a joke, anyone going into a wave pool should know there will be waves and responsible people only go as far into the pool they are comfortable with being able to handle. This is a ridiculous as suing McDonalds for a coffee or tea burning ya mouth, what do they expect it to be cold. Total dimwits. This world has gone mad. Lswyers must be licking their lips and rolling in money as it seems now someone can get sued for anything.
Agree with “What do you think a wave pool is?” I find it a bit odd that she didn’t observe the wave pool before letting her 3 year old daughter anywhere near it. Possibly she wasn’t monitoring the safety of her child or herself. Prior to my daughter and I enjoying the wave pool the fist time we watched it in action and decided if it was okay for us.