Family of Tyre Sampson Awarded $310 Million in Record Verdict Over Orlando FreeFall Ride Death

Dec 6, 2024, 05:33 PM

A Florida jury has ordered Funtime Handels GmbH, the Austrian manufacturer of the 400-foot Orlando FreeFall ride at ICON Park, to pay $310 million to the family of Tyre Sampson, a 14-year-old boy from Missouri who fell to his death from the ride in March 2022. The verdict, delivered after a civil trial, awarded $155 million to each of Tyre's parents, Nekia Dodd and Yarnell Sampson, marking a record-setting win. The jury held the company accountable for negligence in safety measures, noting that Tyre was over 100 pounds above the ride's weight limit when he slipped through the harness. The ride has been shut down since the incident.