Oregon Jury Awards 2 Teens $550,000 Over Oaks Park Ride Malfunction

Q: Why did two jurors vote against awarding $550,000 to the teens trapped upside down on the AtmosFEAR ride?

It is not publicly known why the two jurors dissented. The reporting only says the Multnomah County jury voted 10-2 to award $275,000 to each teenager, for a total of $550,000, after finding liability in the AtmosFEAR ride case. None of the available coverage includes statements from the two dissenting jurors or details from jury deliberations explaining whether they opposed the amount of damages, the negligence finding, or some other part of the verdict. What is clear from the trial record is that the majority accepted the teens’ claims that the 2024 malfunction caused significant physical and emotional harm, including panic, chest pain, dizziness, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. The defense had reportedly admitted fault shortly before trial, and the case focused heavily on compensation and accountability. So the factual answer is limited: two jurors voted against the award, but the reason for their votes has not been disclosed in public reporting.

Q: What missing emergency tools turned a routine amusement park ride into a terrifying 30-minute upside-down ordeal?

The key missing item was the ride-lowering emergency tool needed to manually bring the AtmosFEAR ride back to its home position after it stalled upside down. According to statements from one teen’s family and court reporting, Oaks Park staff did not have the necessary tool on site and did not know how to lower the ride themselves when it became stuck in the inverted position. The family said park staff had to call a manufacturer help line to learn how to address the malfunction, then wait for Portland Fire & Rescue to arrive with the tool used to manually override the system. That absence turned what should have been a fast emergency response into a prolonged ordeal. Riders remained suspended about 50 feet in the air for roughly 25 minutes, with testimony describing some passengers screaming, crying, vomiting, or passing out. The case also pointed to a broader preparedness failure, not just a single missing device. The teens argued Oaks Park lacked an effective emergency plan, adequate staff knowledge, and proper traffic control for first responders. After the verdict, the family said a new safety feature has since been added to allow the ride to be returned immediately to its home position if it gets stuck again.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 21

$550,000 was awarded to two teenage girls after a 10-2 jury verdict over the June 2024 AtmosFEAR malfunction at Oaks Park in Portland, granting each teen $275,000.
About 30 riders were left hanging upside down for roughly 25 minutes when the pendulum-style ride got stuck in a vertical position on the park's first day of the summer season.
The teens' family said the lawsuit targeted accountability, alleging Oaks Park lacked a rescue plan, had no on-site tool to lower the ride, and had to call a 1-800 number for instructions.
Portland Fire & Rescue worked with park engineers to manually lower the ride and medically evaluate riders, while Oaks Park said after the verdict that all riders were safe and safety remains its top priority.