A new lawsuit says Six Flags Magic Mountain's X2 coaster gave a rider a traumatic brain injury on Nov. 7, 2024, two days short of two years before the suit was reported. The same day, CEO John Reilly told investors the safety fallout should last months, not years.
Six Flags is facing another lawsuit over X2, the Six Flags Magic Mountain roller coaster it retired for good in September.
Destiny Banks says she suffered a traumatic brain injury riding X2 on Nov. 7, 2024, TMZ reported Thursday, Nov. 5, citing court documents. She says the ride threw her around and the back of her head struck the headrest again and again.
The timing is tight. California generally gives people two years to bring a personal injury claim, and Beverly Press reported that many people who contacted one X2 law firm fell outside that window. Banks' ride date reached the two-year mark on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The suit claims Six Flags failed to provide adequate restraints, protective headrests and padding, and that the company knew about X2's dangers but didn't warn riders. Banks is seeking unspecified damages, including medical expenses and lost wages.
TMZ did not name the court, and its report included no response from Six Flags. The company has said it does not comment on pending litigation. Banks' claims have not been proven in court.
The report came the same day Six Flags released its third-quarter results. On the earnings call, Reilly said the decision to retire X2 "has raised understandable questions."
He told analysts that the effects of events like these are typically "not a matter of years and more a matter of months," as long as the company does "all the right things." Baller Alert reported that Reilly placed the most noticeable effects at Six Flags Over Georgia and possibly Magic Mountain.
How many X2 brain injury lawsuits has Six Flags faced?
At least five individual suits have been reported since September, and the lawyers involved say far more are coming.
Three suits from Dordick Law: Filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in September, Beverly Press reported. The plaintiffs include Pamela Guillen, 39, who suffered a brain hemorrhage, and Naomi Greer-Wilkinson, 25, whose family says she remains minimally conscious. The third is a lawyer who says two brain surgeries ended his legal career.
Patrick Plumlee: He also sued in September, saying X2 left him with a traumatic brain injury, TMZ reported.
Destiny Banks: The newest suit, reported Nov. 5.
Attorney Gary Dordick told Beverly Press he represents more than 150 former riders and expects at least 100 more lawsuits. He said more than 450 people have contacted his firm. The three Dordick suits have complex-case designations, and he expects later filings to be consolidated with them.
Older cases are still in the background. The family of Christopher Hawley, who died in 2022 after riding X2, settled its wrongful death suit, TMZ and Beverly Press reported. ABC7 reported that a separate X2 brain injury case brought by a Yucaipa couple has a trial date in 2027.
When did X2 close at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
X2 has not run since July 12, 2026. "It has been closed since the evening of July 12," a park spokesperson told ABC7 in September.
Six Flags announced later in September that the coaster would not reopen. Park President Brian Oerding said X2 "consistently passed a multitude of safety tests," Beverly Press reported, and called the closure the right thing to do.
What did Six Flags report for the third quarter?
Six Flags posted a net loss of $366.1 million for the quarter that ended Sept. 27, on revenue of about $1.17 billion. Attendance was about 18.2 million. Those numbers cover the period before the Georgia accident.
October looked worse. Chief Financial Officer Ash Walia said October attendance fell 9% from a year earlier. He said about half the drop came from bad weather and about half from the Georgia incident and the ride closures that followed.
"We have launched a comprehensive review of ride safety across our entire portfolio," Reilly said in the earnings release. Six Flags said independent engineering and inspection specialists are supporting that review.
What happened at Six Flags Over Georgia?
On Oct. 12, Hassan Jihad Ibn Kariem, 42, died after being ejected from the Goliath coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. Local authorities and the ride's manufacturer are investigating.
Six Flags temporarily closed nine coasters with similar restraints at six parks. The company has said it plans to add seat belts to Goliath and other rides where they apply.
Reilly said Six Flags is cooperating fully with the investigation. He declined to comment further on the call until it is complete.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
TMZ (Nov. 5, 2026), the Destiny Banks lawsuit, her claims and the Patrick Plumlee and Hawley background
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. (Nov. 5, 2026), third-quarter results and Reilly's safety review quote
Earnings Whispers (Nov. 5, 2026), the earnings call transcript with Reilly's and Walia's remarks
Baller Alert (Nov. 5, 2026), where Reilly said the effects were concentrated
Beverly Press (Nov. 4, 2026), the Dordick Law suits, client counts, statute of limitations, Oerding's quote and the Goliath details
KTLA (Nov. 6, 2026), Reilly's earnings-call quotes on the fallout
ABC7 Los Angeles (Sept. 23, 2026), the X2 closure date, the Six Flags statement and the Yucaipa case
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