Colorado Jury Awards $205 Million in Wrongful Death Verdict After Child’s Fatal Accident at Adventure Park

Personal Injury Law Practice – Amusement Ride Liability

A Garfield County, Colorado jury recently returned a $205 million verdict over the tragic 2021 death of 6-year-old Wongel Estifanos, who was killed while riding the Haunted Mine Drop attraction at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The case has drawn national attention, both for the heartbreaking facts and for the enormous damages awarded.

The Incident

In September 2021, Wongel Estifanos boarded the Haunted Mine Drop, a vertical free-fall ride designed and manufactured by Soaring Eagle. Evidence at trial showed that ride operators failed to fasten her seat belt, ignored a safety console alert, and manually overrode the system. The ride plunged 110 feet with the child unsecured, causing fatal injuries within seconds.

Legal Theories Advanced

The plaintiff’s legal team pursued multiple theories against the park, its operators, and the ride’s designer:

1. Negligence – The ride operators and park allegedly failed to ensure Wongel was properly restrained, disregarded warning signals, and lacked adequate safety procedures.

2. Negligent Training & Supervision – Glenwood Caverns was accused of failing to properly train staff, enforce safety protocols, and supervise ride operations.

3. Product/Design Defect – The ride’s designer, Soaring Eagle, faced claims that the restraint system was defectively designed and failed to prevent foreseeable operator errors.

4. Punitive Damages – The jury concluded the conduct was not only negligent but willful and wanton, warranting punitive damages to punish and deter similar conduct.

Expert Testimony

Several experts played a critical role in explaining how the tragedy occurred:

• Amusement-ride safety investigator Scott Narreau (Colorado Division of Oil & Public Safety) testified that the ride was functioning properly, but operators failed to follow mandatory seat-belt protocols.

• Death investigator Cassidy Blackard-Weeks (Garfield County Coroner’s Office) described the cause of death as multiple blunt-force injuries and confirmed death occurred within seconds.

Their testimony helped the jury understand both the technical failures and the human errors that led to Wongel’s death.

The Jury’s Award

The jury awarded:

• $82 million in compensatory damages (including non-economic damages for loss of life and family suffering).

• $123 million in punitive damages, reflecting the jury’s determination that the defendants acted with reckless disregard for safety.

This is one of the largest wrongful death verdicts in Colorado history.