Lawsuits Claim Six Flags Roller Coaster Caused Brain Injuries
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Center 67%
Right 0%
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What happened
Three riders filed lawsuits in California Superior Court against Six Flags and ride manufacturer S&S Worldwide, alleging catastrophic brain injuries from the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California. The plaintiffs are Pamela Guillen, who rode on July 5 and whose lawsuit says surgeons later removed part of her skull; Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, who the suit says lost consciousness after riding on July 11 and remains bedridden; and attorney Michael Wilk, who rode on Feb. 7 and whose suit says he underwent operations for brain bleeding. Their lawyers said more than 100 other people also sustained brain injuries on the ride in the last two years. The 200-foot coaster, which has rotating seats and reaches 76 mph, has been closed since July 12; Six Flags and S&S did not immediately comment.
Sourcing check · Mostly on the record · 3 articles
1 of 2 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report.
What these terms mean and how they're counted
- On the record · names a source 1 of 2
- On the record means the article cites a source by name for the story's main claim: a person, or an institution speaking officially, such as a company statement or a named agency's spokesperson. The opposite is an unnamed source. The count is how many of the counted articles cite at least one such source; the names are everyone named across them, each once however the articles spell it. Here: Gary Dordick
- Primary evidence · cites a document or data 2 of 2
- Primary evidence means the article cites a record you could check yourself: a court filing or ruling, a dataset or report, a recording or transcript, an official statement or press release, market data. A quote is not a document. The count is how many articles cite one. Here: court filing
- Credits another outlet 0 of 2
- The article says the story comes from another outlet's reporting (“first reported by Reuters”). Those articles relay the story; they are not independent confirmation. Here: Each article presents its own reporting.
- Unnamed sources 0 of 2
- The main claim is attributed to people who are not identified: “people familiar with the matter”, “officials said”. The count is how many articles do this.
- How it developed
- When the first report landed and whether it named anyone; when the first named source and the first document appeared. Here: First report Sep 23, 20:50 UTC by NBC News, naming its source. First document in the first report, from NBC News (court filing).
- Not counted 1
- Opinion, analysis and video pieces, and articles too short to assess. Every count above is out of the counted articles. An article republished under a new headline is one article.
This is about who is cited, not whether the story is true. Each source below says what it names. How we count
BLINDSPOT.
Only left-leaning outlets are covering this story
— the other side's media is silent.
Omitted — what each side leaves out
Unpacked
Right-leaning outlets had not covered this as of publication, so the live gap is silence on one side against a single detailed left-leaning account. Left-leaning coverage reports three lawsuits against Six Flags and the X2 manufacturer over alleged brain injuries. Attorneys also say a much larger group of riders were hurt. A reader of the silent side would not know the cases were filed, that lawyers call the harm catastrophic, or that the coaster has been closed. The left-leaning report does not independently confirm the broader injury tally and notes that the park had not immediately responded.
Left-leaning coverage leads with the lawyers' count rather than the handful of complaints on file, then lingers on named riders' surgeries and lost work. Those stories are vivid, but they establish individual claims, not a finding that the ride's design caused the injuries. Graphic hospital details fill that account while any company defense is simply not on the record.
What independent inspection or medical review, if any, ties the X2's spinning seats to these brain injuries beyond the lawsuits?
Bottom line
NBC News told readers that lawyers claim over 100 X2 riders suffered brain injuries, while right-leaning outlets have not reported the lawsuits at all.
The receipts — 5 facts one side's coverage lacks
- Attorneys say more than 100 people sustained brain injuries riding the X2 in the last two years
- A CNN investigation documented at least two deaths among X2 riders
- The lawsuits name S&S Worldwide as a defendant and the ride manufacturer
- Pamela Guillen did not regain consciousness for two weeks after surgeons removed part of her skull
- Naomi Greer-Wilkinson remains bedridden and is described in court papers as an incompetent adult
The Left View
NBC News reported the three lawsuits in detail, quoting attorneys Gary Dordick and Christopher Bulone describing the injuries as catastrophic and the ride as inherently dangerous in ways no reasonable rider would expect. It recounted the plaintiffs’ alleged medical outcomes—skull surgery and two weeks unconscious for Guillen, multiple operations and near-unconsciousness for Greer-Wilkinson, and operations plus lasting cognitive symptoms for Wilk—and noted a prior CNN investigation that documented at least two deaths and more than a dozen serious injuries or hospitalizations among X2 riders. CBS News reported the same core claims: three new lawsuits and attorneys’ assertion that the coaster left more than 100 riders with brain injuries, without independent verification of that count.
Our Take (balanced)
The story is substantive: it rests on named plaintiffs, specific ride dates, filed California Superior Court complaints, and detailed medical allegations rather than anonymous or unverifiable claims. Established facts are that three lawsuits were filed against Six Flags and S&S Worldwide alleging brain injuries from X2, that the ride has been closed since July 12, and that plaintiffs’ lawyers assert more than 100 additional injuries; causation, the park’s prior knowledge, and the 100-plus injury figure remain unproven allegations. No right-leaning outlet has reported this. Watch for company or manufacturer responses, court filings that attach medical records, regulator or inspection findings, and whether additional named plaintiffs appear with corroborating documentation.
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