Montana Lawsuit Says 13-Year-Old Died on Ride With 10 Missing Restraints

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 19

A lawsuit filed over 13-year-old Clayton Phillips' death says he was seated on an unsafe chair on a Yo-Yo carnival ride in Butte, Montana, and was thrown from the ride, dying two weeks later.
The complaint alleges Midway West Amusements knew at least 10 chairs were missing pelvic safety belts, clips and connectors, yet kept the ride operating and relied on workers' memory and verbal instructions to leave those seats empty.
Improperly trained employees then placed Phillips in one of those defective chairs, according to the suit, which says a Midway West representative later acknowledged the ride's mechanical deficiencies to law enforcement.
The case names Butte-Silver Bow, Midway West Amusements, inspection company Shady Acres Safety Services and its owner, plus 20 unidentified managers, operators, maintenance workers and contractors; the family seeks unspecified damages.