Markets 
An LA attorney who took his grandkids to Six Flags Magic Mountain to make lasting memories claims he can no longer practice law after suffering a catastrophic brain injury riding the park’s notorious X2 roller coaster, according to a new lawsuit.
Michael Wilk, a lawyer with decades of experience, visited the Valencia amusement park with his daughter and grandkids in February to ”enjoy the park’s many thrill rides, including the X2,” the suit states.
But Wilk claims the family outing turned into a medical nightmare when his head slammed violently against the headrest while riding X2, the extreme coaster whose seats rotate 360 degrees as riders plunge head-first and face-down.
After getting off the ride, Wilk felt ill, suffered a stabbing pain in his head and dizziness, and had difficulty walking, according to the lawsuit.
When he returned to work, colleagues noticed a continuing decline in his cognitive function and became so alarmed they urged him to seek medical care, the suit claims.
A June 4 MRI revealed massive intracranial bleeding and swelling, as well as a midline shift of Wilk’s brain, according to the lawsuit.
He immediately underwent an emergency embolization procedure, but it failed to control the bleeding, the papers say.
The suit alleges the MRI showed the bleeding had been present for months and was consistent with an injury dating back to February.
Wilk subsequently underwent two separate craniotomies to relieve the bleeding but continues to suffer ”debilitating headaches, confusion, dizziness, memory loss, and personality changes,” according to the suit.
He is now unable to practice law and has suffered ”permanent cognitive impairment,” the lawsuit claims.
The suit also points to at least a dozen other people who allegedly suffered injuries after riding X2, including 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who suffered catastrophic brain bleeding after riding the coaster in June 2022 and died the following day.
Hawley, a 22-year-old San Diego State University graduate, had difficulty walking after getting off X2 before collapsing and losing consciousness, according to his family’s wrongful-death lawsuit.
His parents reached an undisclosed settlement with Magic Mountain and the supplier of X2’s replacement trains in August.
X2 has been closed since July while Cal/OSHA investigates a separate incident involving the ride.
The coaster, which opened in 2002 as X before being relaunched as X2, has faced several lawsuits alleging serious brain injuries.
Six Flags was contacted for comment.
The park has advertised X2 as ”A rite of passage for the ultimate daredevil,” boasting that the extreme coaster will have ”even the most hardened thrill seeker screaming.”
Wilk is seeking damages including medical expenses and past and future lost earnings.
Read the full article here
