In 2022, Katrina Griffin visited Disneyland only to later file a lawsuit against the resort. Griffin and her daughter were in attendance at the park on April 3rd, 2022. She alleges she sustained serious injuries when a cast member, costumed as Goofy, fell on her.
What happened?
The lawsuit alleges that as Griffin bent down to tie her daughter’s shoes, a Disney employee dressed as Goofy collided with her, causing her to fall onto the concrete in Disney California Adventure. The employee reportedly landed on Griffin with his full body weight. This, Griffin claims, inflicted “severe and lasting injuries that demanded extensive medical attention,” and caused “considerable emotional distress.”
The lawsuit refers to the two unidentified cast members as “John Doe 1” and “John Doe 2.” Griffin asserts the character handler “negligently failed to avert the collision with Goofy.” She demands a jury trial to seek compensation for medical expenses and lost earnings. Furthermore, Griffin is pursuing damages for negligence, arguing her injuries will lead to a degree of permanent disability.
Will She Win?
Falls can cause broken bones, like wrist, arm, ankle, and hip fractures. Falls can cause head injuries. These can be very serious, especially if the person is taking certain medicines (like blood thinners). But having someone’s full-weight fall on top of you- then falling onto the concrete of Disneyland’s California Adventure while also presumably shielding your child- could also bring on a whole new set of problems for Griffin. Not to mention, if Goofy tripped over her, he could have easily tripped over her child. Personally, I’m just glad it wasn’t my daughter and I that this happened to.
We’re not sure if this is a winning case right out the gate, but if it leads to every face character having two handlers, it might be worth it. At least that way one can keep an eye on surroundings while the other helps the masked character interact with other guests.
A case management conference is scheduled for September 4th, 2024.
