Child had two teeth knocked out on American Dream mall ride, suit says
The parents of a child who they said had two teeth knocked out on a ride at American Dream’s Nickelodeon Theme Park are suing the mall and its owners, saying they didn’t do enough to prevent the young girl’s injury.
It marks the latest legal trouble for the Meadowlands megamall and entertainment center, which has seen lawsuits over injuries and unpaid bills.
The six-count suit was filed in Bergen County Superior Court on July 20, over an incident that stems back to June 25, 2022.
It lists the American Dream Mall as the defendant, as well the mall’s developer Ameream, and the manufacturer of the ride in question: Chance Rides Manufacturing.
None could be immediately reached for comment.
According to the suit, Joseph and Jodie Loverro of Manhattan had bought tickets for their three children: Chloe, Hudson and Audrey. Chloe and Audrey sat in the front section of the last car, while Hudson was seated behind his two sisters. Audrey is an adult child.
The three children boarded a ride called the Nickelodeon Slime Streak Ride, according to the suit.
Near the end of the ride, the cars, which are attached together in groups of five, climbed up a sloping portion before they rapidly descend to a level next to a platform on which riders exit.
“As the ride began its descent, but before it reached the level part of the ride, the cars suddenly and unexpectedly jerked with great force,” the suit reads. “Chloe Loverro was violently thrown forward, striking her face on the hard plastic of the car in which she was riding.”
Once the ride stopped, Chloe, now stunned by the incident, realized that her two top front teeth had broken off.
Chloe’s two siblings were “extremely distressed to see their younger sister injured,” and dismayed to see her two broken teeth. Chloe was put in a neck brace and transported by wheelchair to an ambulance, then taken to a nearby hospital while her siblings rode with her, according to the suit.
“Chloe has since had to undergo orthodontia and other medical procedures to repair her teeth and to address the additional damages to her face,” the suit reads. “Future dental work has been recommended at uncertain cost.”
Chloe now has a fear of roller coasters and undergoes counseling to address her emotional trauma, the suit reads.
According to the suit, employees at the park responsible for the ride failed to properly operate it, including the braking system, causing Chloe’s injury.
The employees failed to give any “audible safety instructions” to any of the riders, nor did they “warn riders about the possibility of injury on the ride," the suit reads.
“There were no safety signs or other safety warnings posted at or near the Ride to inform invitees about the risks of taking the ride,” the suit reads.
The suit also takes issue with the lack of any restraints beyond a restraining bar placed across the laps for riders, which is decried as “defective” and “wholly inadequate” to prevent injuries like those endured by Chloe, wherein the rider could slam their face into the hard plastic in front of them.
Legal headaches for the megamall
In April, a New York judge sided against American Dream over $389 million that a group of junior lenders sought for defaulted debt.
The mall is embroiled in a dispute over $9 million in payments that neighboring municipalities say they are owed.
East Rutherford is suing the mall, saying it refused to make its contractual payments to the town for parcels of land that have yet to be developed.