Brain Injury Lawsuit Against Six Flags Coaster Heads to Trial
Six Flags Magic Mountain's X2 roller coaster has had one of the roughest stretches in its 20-year history this year, with a temporary shutdown, an OSHA investigation, a wrongful-death settlement and a separate injury lawsuit now headed to trial in 2027, all tied to the same ride.
The most recent development is a Los Angeles Superior Court decision setting an August 16, 2027 trial date for a lawsuit filed by Sheila Katerelos, a 56-year-old Yucaipa woman who alleges she suffered a traumatic brain injury while riding X2 on February 16, 2020. Her husband, Ari Katerelos, has joined the suit with a loss of consortium claim.
The Katerelos Lawsuit Heads to Trial
The case, filed in Chatsworth Superior Court before Judge Michael O'Gara, names Magic Mountain LLC, Six Flags Theme Park Inc. and ride manufacturer S&S Worldwide Inc. as defendants, alleging negligence, strict product liability and negligent product liability. S&S Worldwide had initially been dismissed from the case, but the Second District Court of Appeal reinstated the company as a defendant in February 2026, and the California Supreme Court denied its final appeal in July, clearing the way for trial.
Magic Mountain has argued in court filings that Katerelos was properly restrained throughout the ride and that posted warnings about the coaster's forces were adequate for riders with pre-existing conditions like hypertension. "X2 signage gave riders sufficient information to decide whether and how to ride," the park argued in its legal filings.
Two Brain Injuries in the Same Week
The lawsuit's trial date arrives as X2 faces fresh scrutiny over its safety record. In July 2026, two riders suffered severe brain injuries within days of each other. Pamela Guillen, a 40-year-old visitor from Hawaii, suffered a subdural hematoma on July 5 that required a decompressive craniectomy, in which part of her skull was removed to relieve pressure on her brain; she didn't regain consciousness for roughly two weeks. Six days later, on July 11, 25-year-old Los Angeles resident Naomi Greer-Wilkinson lost consciousness after riding X2 and needed emergency brain surgery of her own, later remaining in critical condition on a ventilator.
Six Flags closed X2 on the evening of July 12, 2026, without publicly explaining why, and Cal/OSHA opened a formal inspection into the ride that has no announced completion date. Three neurosurgeons who treated the two women concluded the injuries shared a common cause. "The severe brain injuries requiring emergent neurosurgical attention were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride," the doctors wrote.
A Wrongful-Death Case Just Settled
The safety concerns aren't new. Christopher Hawley, a 22-year-old San Diego State University graduate, died on June 24, 2022, after riding X2 and collapsing shortly afterward from what a coroner determined was a catastrophic subdural hematoma.
His parents, William and Anne Hawley, sued Magic Mountain and S&S Worldwide, and both defendants reached settlements days before a trial had been set to begin on September 8, with terms undisclosed. Family attorney Timothy A. Loranger said "Christopher's family is determined to seek justice and accountability from those responsible for his death and to prevent such tragedies from happening to others," Loranger added.
Internal Six Flags records reviewed as part of the Hawley litigation showed more than 70 reported head and neck injury complaints tied to X2 in the three years before his death, a figure that has since drawn renewed attention amid the July 2026 injuries.
A Ride With a Long History
X2's troubled safety record stretches back further still. In 2010, 28-year-old Hilda Farias died after riding the coaster, and her family later settled a lawsuit against the park for an undisclosed amount. Combined with this year's closures, lawsuits and injuries, the pattern has fueled ongoing questions from riders and regulators alike about whether the one-of-a-kind "4th dimension" coaster, known for spinning riders' seats independently of the track, poses risks that go beyond typical roller coaster thrills.
For now, X2's status remains tied to the outcome of OSHA's inspection, while the Katerelos case moves toward its 2027 trial date and Magic Mountain continues to face scrutiny over a ride that has generated headlines for all the wrong reasons this year.
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