ORLANDO, Fla. – A guest who says she was injured last summer after suffering an electric shock at Universal’s Volcano Bay water park last year is suing the company for damages, according to court records.
April Carlino was visiting Universal’s Orlando water park on June 2, 2019 when she said she was shocked due to a malfunction with the park’s electrical system, according to the lawsuit filed in Orange County.
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The incident at the park sent multiple people to the hospital and forced the attraction to close several hours early. Guests and workers reported the electrical shocks in the pool of TeAwa The Fearless River, a fast-moving river ride, and on the boardwalk.
According to Orlando Utilities Commission records, there was a problem with underground electrical cables at Volcano Bay. The problem was later corrected. Occupational Safety and Health Administration also investigated the incident.
Carlino’s attorneys with the Orlando-based law firm Morgan & Morgan filed a lawsuit in November against the park and its parent company, Universal Studios and Universal City Development. The Orlando Sentinel first reported the lawsuit.
The plaintiff’s sister, Sarah Carlino, of Boston, told News 6 in June she and her sisters felt like their feet were being “zapped.” She said she felt like her concerns weren’t taken seriously when she told a manager.
According to the lawsuit, April Carlino suffered injuries as a result of the shock. The lawsuit described the injuries as “permanent or continuing."
Carlino is suing for more than $15,000 in damages, plus interest and the costs of her legal fees.
Volcano Bay’s parent company, Universal City Development Partners, responded to the lawsuit on Dec. 11 denying the allegations.
“(The) plaintiff was negligent in that she failed to use reasonable care for her own safety and such failure was the proximate cause of the subject incident,” the response read. “Any recovery by the Plaintiff in this action must be reduced in accordance with her negligence.”
The response also states Carlino was shocked as the result of a third party and some of her injuries resulted from a pre-existing condition.