The family of a tourist killed in a Christmas Eve, 1998, accident at Disneyland settled its claim against the park Wednesday, capping a case that focused the nation's attention on amusement park safety issues and spurred the state's first law regulating the industry.
Terms of the settlement were sealed. An outside expert previously estimated the damages could top $20 million.
For the Record
Los Angeles Times Friday October 6, 2000 Orange County Edition Metro Part B Page 3 Metro Desk 1 inches; 24 words Type of Material: Correction
Disneyland settlement--Headlines Thursday incorrectly stated that a lawsuit had been filed in a fatal 1998 accident at Disneyland. The case was settled without a lawsuit.
Disneyland spokesman Ray Gomez declined comment. The family's lawyer, Wylie Aitken, said only: "The matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the family and the company."
The money will go to the family of Luan Phi Dawson, a 33-year-old Duvall, Wash., father and senior testing engineer at Microsoft Corp.
Dawson was killed and his wife injured after a metal cleat pulled free from the 84-foot tall ship Columbia as it docked. State investigators later said the worker in charge of docking the ship--one of the tamest rides in the park--had been poorly trained. She also was severely injured.
Dawson's wife, Lieu Thuy Vuong, now 45, suffered severe facial injuries in the accident and faces more plastic surgery. The couple's 7-year-old son, Antoine, and her 9-year-old grandson, Andrew, were at their side when the accident occurred.
Newport Beach attorney Jeffrey T. Roberts, a wrongful-death specialist, has estimated that any settlement would be $20 million to $25 million because Disneyland was clearly at fault.
The injured employee, Christine Carpenter, also faces more reconstructive surgery for a severely injured foot, a co-worker said. Carpenter is working from home for Disney, but has been unable to return to the park itself.
The incident was one of a series of high-profile amusement park accidents that focused public attention on the industry.
In the Columbia accident, Disneyland and the Anaheim Police Department came under heavy criticism--the park for cleaning up the accident scene too quickly and the police for a 4 1/2-hour delay in reaching the scene. The park later agreed to leave accident scenes undisturbed until investigators arrive, and police set up a permanent station at the park.
After a lengthy investigation, the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined Disneyland $12,500, the maximum penalty allowed, for misusing equipment and failing to train Carpenter.
