Six Flags Goliath roller coaster liability: Could Six Flags face liability after the death of a teacher? Experts weigh-in

The Goliath roller coaster tragedy at Six Flags Over Georgia has raised serious questions about ride safety and who could be held responsible. Hassan Kariem died after an incident on the rollercoaster on October 12. While investigators work to establish what happened, legal experts say Six Flags’ potential liability will depend on the evidence, including whether the park followed safety rules and whether any problems could have been prevented.

The investigation could also examine the ride’s manufacturer, maintenance contractors and park staff. For now, neither the exact cause of the incident nor the role of the coaster’s safety systems has been confirmed. The inputs are taken from various outlets- The New York Post, Fox5Atlanta, Insurance Business and CNN.

Six Flags Goliath roller coaster liability

Georgia law could make a potential claim more complicated. According to attorney Daniel Adamson of Dixon-Adamson, amusement parks in the state are generally held to an “ordinary care” standard, following a 1982 state Supreme Court case. Public transportation operators, such as bus and train companies, face a higher standard known as “extraordinary diligence.”

This very distinction could matter if the family of the deceased, Hassan Kariem’s family, pursues a wrongful death claim. It does not automatically protect Six Flags from any sort of liability.

Investigators will need to establish whether the park met its duty of care. Also whether it knew, or should have known about any safety problems.

“The key question is not just what went wrong, but also if someone knew — or should have known — what could have gone wrong,” Adamson told The New York Post.

He said investigators would likely examine inspection logs, maintenance records and any earlier safety complaints. If the investigators conclude that Six Flags complied fully with local laws and regulations, Adamson mentioned that it's possible for the park not to be held responsible for Kariem’s death.

“When somebody boards a roller coaster, they accept the thrill of the ride, not the risk of being thrown from it,” Adamson said.

He added that whether a visitor assumed the risk would depend on the specific facts of the case.

Who else could face legal action

The park operator may not be the only party examined. Nakia Martin, an attorney at the Taylor Law Firm said the people who might be blamed could be the owner of the ride the person who runs the ride the company that made the ride or designed it and the companies that do maintenance or check the ride from the outside.

The investigation has to find out if a safety belt broke if the repair work wasn't good enough or if someone who works the ride made a mistake. Investigators also need to keep the data from the rides sensors the records of the maintenance work the reports, from inspections and any videos that were recorded Martin said.

Other Six Flags safety cases add pressure

Six Flags temporarily closed Goliath and nine other coasters across six parks while the investigation continues. The incident also comes weeks after Six Flags permanently retired the X2 coaster at its Magic Mountain park in California. These cases do not establish that Six Flags was responsible for the Georgia death. But they add to the legal and insurance questions facing the company as investigators examine the latest incident. For now, the central issue remains what happened on Goliath and whether anyone failed to meet their safety responsibilities. The investigation’s findings will help determine whether the case leads to claims against the park, the ride’s manufacturer or other parties.