ORLANDO, Fla. (KTVI) – A jury has ordered a company to pay $310 million to the family of a Missouri teenager who died in 2022 after falling from a Florida amusement park ride.
Tyre Sampson, 14, was killed after falling to his death off a freefall tower drop ride at Orlando’s ICON Park. The ride has shut down since Sampson's death.
A jury in Orange County, Florida, ruled in a civil trial that Funtime Handels, a foreign company associated with the ride, must pay $310 million in damages to Sampson's family, Nexstar's WFLA reported.
Crump shared the following statement on the jury verdict:
"This verdict is a step forward in holding corporations accountable for the safety of their products. The jury's decision confirms what we have long argued: Tyre's death was the result of blatant negligence and a failure to prioritize safety over profits. The ride's manufacturers neglected their duty to protect passengers, and today's outcome ensures they face the consequences of those decisions.
"We hope this case serves as a wake-up call for the entire industry to implement stricter safety measures and oversight to prevent such tragedies from happening again. Tyre's legacy will be a safer future for riders everywhere."
Sampson's family reportedly settled lawsuits against ICON Park and the ride’s operators last year, but this verdict targeted the ride's foreign manufacturer, Funtime Handels, which is based in Austria.
Sampson fell 70 feet to his death from the Orlando Free Fall ride on March 24, 2022, after slipping from the ride's restraints. He was a student at City Garden Montessori School in St. Louis and played as a lineman in the BadBoyz youth football program. He also hoped to play high school football the following year.
