Christopher Hawley Six Flags Magic Mountain Lawsuit Explained

Tracking the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the family of 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who died after suffering a severe brain injury following a June 2022 ride on the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Hawley’s family alleges the coaster caused his fatal injuries; Six Flags and other defendants have denied liability.

Hawley Collapsed Shortly After Riding The X2 Roller Coaster. Hawley visited Six Flags Magic Mountain with his younger brother and cousin on June 23, 2022. According to his family’s lawsuit, he appeared unwell after getting off X2, walked slowly while holding a railing, complained that his head hurt and then collapsed. He never regained consciousness and died the following day. [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner Ruled Hawley’s Death An Accident Caused By Blunt Head Trauma. The medical examiner attributed his death to blunt head trauma sustained in what was described as a “park ride accident.” Hawley had reportedly been healthy before visiting the amusement park. [FOX 11 LOS ANGELES]

Hawley’s Family Alleges X2 Violently Jerked Riders Before Abruptly Stopping. The lawsuit describes the ride as extremely rough and alleges passengers were jerked around before X2 “suddenly, abruptly, and violently” jolted to a stop near the end of the ride. Hawley’s younger brother also described a forceful movement that threw riders forward before their heads swung backward into their headrests. [FOX 11 LOS ANGELES]

Doctors Found Hawley Had Suffered Catastrophic Bleeding In His Brain. According to the lawsuit, medical imaging revealed a catastrophic subdural hematoma. Hawley’s father said a treating surgeon compared the internal brain damage to injuries associated with extreme shaking. [MYNEWSLA]

The Family Sued Six Flags Alleging Wrongful Death, Negligence And A Defective Roller-Coaster Design. Hawley’s parents Anne and William filed suit against Magic Mountain LLC, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, S&S Worldwide and individual park employees. The case has included claims involving design defects, failure to warn, negligent product design, negligence and premises liability. [LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT]

The Family Claims Six Flags Failed To Warn Riders About X2’s Potential Dangers. Hawley’s parents argue that Six Flags knew or should have known about the forces riders could experience on X2 and failed to provide adequate warnings or take sufficient steps to prevent serious injuries. The defendants deny the allegations. [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

The Lawsuit Says X2 Was Temporarily Closed After Hawley’s Injury But Reopened The Same Day. Hawley’s complaint alleges that Six Flags shut the coaster down following his collapse but allowed it to return to operation later that day. Six Flags has denied the lawsuit’s allegations concerning responsibility for Hawley’s death. [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

A Judge Rejected An Attempt By Individual Six Flags Employees To Get The Case Against Them Dismissed. Several employees named as defendants challenged the lawsuit through a demurrer, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Andrew E. Cooper overruled the challenge in March 2024, allowing the claims against them to continue at that stage of the litigation. [LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT]

X2 Train Supplier S&S Worldwide Reached A Proposed Settlement With Hawley’s Parents. In August 2026, attorneys for S&S Worldwide asked a judge to approve a settlement with Anne and William Hawley. The financial and other terms of the proposed agreement were not publicly disclosed. [MYNEWSLA]

S&S Continued To Deny That Its Roller-Coaster Trains Were Defective. Despite agreeing to the proposed settlement, S&S argued in court papers that evidence could lead a jury to conclude it was not liable at all. Its attorneys said testing showed X2’s acceleration forces were not hazardous and argued that the trains operated as they were designed to operate. [MYNEWSLA]

S&S Said Six Flags, Not The Train Manufacturer, Was Responsible For Maintaining X2. Attorneys for S&S argued that Magic Mountain was responsible for maintaining the roller coaster and that S&S had no role in the attraction’s ongoing upkeep. The allocation of responsibility between the defendants has been one of the issues in the litigation. [MYNEWSLA]

X2 Was Shut Down Again In 2026 Following A Separate Medical Emergency. Los Angeles County firefighters responded on July 5, 2026 after a person associated with the attraction was reportedly unconscious and transported the person to a hospital. Six Flags closed X2 on July 12, and the coaster remained closed in August while state safety officials investigated. Authorities have said the 2026 incident is separate from Hawley’s case. [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

Cal/OSHA Opened A Safety Inspection Of X2 Following The 2026 Incident. California amusement-ride regulators confirmed that they opened an inspection into the July 5 incident. Because that investigation remained active, the agency had not publicly released additional details about what happened or whether any defect had been identified. [LOS ANGELES TIMES]

Six Flags Continued To Deny Responsibility As The Hawley Case Approached Trial. Six Flags declined to discuss the pending litigation in detail and has denied the family’s claims. As of August 24, 2026, the portion of the lawsuit against Magic Mountain was scheduled for a jury trial beginning September 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. [FOX 11 LOS ANGELES]

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