Parents Sue American Dream Mall After Daughter Broke Teeth On Ride

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The parents of a young girl are suing American Dream mall in East Rutherford, claiming the child ended up hospitalized after she smashed her face into a theme park ride seat and broke her front teeth.

According to the lawsuit filed July 20 in Superior Court of Bergen County, the girl was injured in June while riding the Slime Streak at American Dream's Nickelodeon Universe. According to court documents, the roller coaster reaches up to 35 mph speeds and has hard plastic cars with no padding.

According to court documents, the girl and her family from New York City visited the theme park on June 25, where the girl, her sister, and her brother rode the Slime Streak.

"As the ride began its descent... the cars suddenly and unexpectedly jerked with great force," the lawsuit states. "(The girl) was violently thrown forward, striking her face on the hard plastic of the car in which she was riding."

According to the lawsuit, the girl was stunned by the impact. After the ride came to a stop, lawyers said she realized that two of her top front teeth had broken off. According to court documents, she also had injuries to her lips, bottom teeth, and gums.

"Her siblings were extremely distressed to see their younger sister injured, and dismayed at seeking the two broken teeth in (the girl's) hand after the accident," the lawsuit states.

The girl was taken to the hospital for treatment. Following the incident, lawyers said the girl was forced to undergo multiple procedures to repair her teeth and damage to her face. She is also facing future dental work, according to court documents.

The girl's family is also suing the ride manufacturer and several unnamed workers at the park, claiming negligence, failure to warn the public about risks associated with the ride, and failure to train employees properly.

The family is seeking an unspecified amount in monetary damages, according to the suit.

The incident is the latest involving the East Rutherford complex. A 30-year-old Elwood Park man filed a lawsuit against the business in June, claiming he fractured his leg while riding the Zany & Zanier Zigzag waterpark slide, according to an NJ.com report.

Additionally, the family construction worker Eric S. Papenfuhs, 37, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the mall and several businesses, NJ.com reported. Papenfuhs was killed in October 2019 when the Bobcat vehicle he was driving collided with a flatbed truck.