More than 100 riders allege brain injuries after riding Six Flags’ X2 roller coaster in the past two years, according to attorneys.
The claims follow a CNN investigation into reports of serious injuries and hospital admissions associated with the ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California.
Three lawsuits were filed this week alleging Six Flags had been given ample notice of potential dangers associated with X2 and should not have continued operating it.
Attorneys said they now represent more than 100 people alleging brain injuries of varying severity after riding X2 during the past two years.
They said hundreds of other riders had also contacted them but were either unable to sue because of legal time limits, had injuries unrelated to the brain or lacked evidence of medical treatment.
CNN said it had not independently verified the claims of riders who recently came forward.
Civil attorney Christopher Bulone said: “Six Flags has been willingly gambling with people’s lives… No ride like that should be allowed to exist.”
Two of the lawsuits concern 26-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson and 40-year-old Pamela Guillen, who were featured in CNN’s earlier investigation.
Both women lost consciousness after leaving the roller coaster and underwent emergency brain surgery for severe traumatic brain injuries following separate rides six days apart in July.
According to an email reviewed by CNN, surgeons determined their injuries were caused by “a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride”.
Guillen has said she had to relearn how to walk and talk and continues to experience severe headaches and brain fog, while taking medication to prevent seizures.
Greer-Wilkinson remains in a coma.
A third lawsuit was filed by Los Angeles attorney Michael Wilk, who alleges he suffered extensive bleeding in the brain and required multiple brain operations after riding X2 in February.
Wilk told CNN he has been left disabled, with severe headaches, memory loss and brain fog, and is unable to practise law.
“My brain has difficulty processing the words, and so unless it’s extraordinarily clear and loud, my brain gets the word wrong. I think I miss about half the conversations I’m in,” he said.
“I truly hope that by coming forward, changes will be made.”
Six Flags declined to respond to the new allegations, saying it does not comment on pending litigation.
The company previously told CNN that “the ride remains closed at this time”.
In previous legal cases, attorneys for the theme park have argued that passengers are warned of the inherent risks of amusement rides.
They have also said X2 is regularly tested and that the forces experienced by passengers are not sufficient to cause traumatic brain injury in a “normal” rider using it “as instructed”.
Another law firm, which represented the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley following his death from a traumatic brain injury after riding X2 four years ago, has also taken on new clients alleging injuries ranging from serious concussions to brain bleeds.
These include the family of a young man who attorneys say died after riding X2 in late 2025. Attorneys say this was the latest of at least three deaths allegedly linked to the ride.
X2 differs from conventional roller coasters because its seats rotate through 360 degrees as the trains reach speeds approaching 80 miles per hour during a ride lasting around two minutes.
Six Flags closed X2 on the evening of July 12, nearly a day after the most recent reported injury. The company has not said what led to the closure.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which oversees amusement park ride operations, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment about the latest allegations.
Officials previously said an inspection of the ride remained ongoing.
Attorney Gary Dordick, who is also representing the group of more than 100 clients, said many alleged victims had reported their injuries to Six Flags, although it was unclear how many were subsequently reported to state authorities.
He said: “Magic Mountain has known about the dangers of this ride for years.”
