A family has filed a lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks and Resorts alleging that one of the park’s 214-foot water slides caused an “injurious wedgie,” which the suit says was a “severe” injury.
The lawsuit describes an incident that took place on Oct. 14, 2019, on the Humunga Kowabunga water slide while the plaintiffs, Emma and Edward McGuinness, were on a two-week vacation at Walt Disney World.
The family was visiting the park to celebrate Emma McGuinness’ 30th birthday, but things quickly turned for the worse after she rode the water slide in question.
The suit was filed in Circuit Court for Orange County, Florida, last week and alleges that Disney knew the ride, described as a “near-vertical, 5-story drop — in the dark” that descends 214 feet into a pool of water — brought the risk of painful “wedgies,” especially for women.
“Specifically, when a rider of The Slide reached the bottom of the ride and traveled into the pool of water designed to stop further travel, the force of the water can push loose garments into a person’s anatomy - an event known as a ‘wedgie,’” the suit says. “Because of a woman’s anatomy, the risk of a painful ‘wedgie’ is more common and more serious than it is for a man.”
The plaintiffs are seeking “damages exceeding $50,000, exclusive of interest and costs” because of the park’s negligence.
The suit goes on to say that Disney was negligent and “breached its duties of reasonable care” when it failed to provide parkgoers riding the slide appropriate protective clothing, like shorts.
It also says they failed to warn McGuinness and other women of the risks and that the design of the slide has resulted in safety failures.
McGuinness claims in the suit that she did as she was “instructed,” taking the appropriate position on the slide. However, she became airborne toward the end and slammed into the slide, increasing “the likelihood of her legs becoming uncrossed or otherwise exposing herself to injury.”
When she hit the slide and the water at the bottom, the suit says her swimsuit was forced between her legs and was “violently forced inside her,” causing severe internal pain and bleeding from between her legs.
The extent of her injuries were so bad she was taken to a local hospital via an ambulance. She eventually had to see a specialist for the repair of gynecologic injuries, the suit says.
Court documents say that McGuinness suffered “severe and permanent bodily injury” as a result of the slide.
The couple is now suing for compensatory damages and taxable costs and is demanding a jury trial.