Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

COTALAND Sued for $1 Million Over Hour-Long Roller Coaster Suspension in Austin

The lawsuit puts a spotlight on COTALAND's emergency readiness.

The Circuit Breaker is the first tilt roller coaster in Texas, at COTALAND Theme Park at Circuit of the Americas. The roller coaster is one of the 30 rides and attractions coming to COTALAND, a 30-acre amusement park that’s scheduled to open in 2026.
Image
Image

Overview

  • Matthew Cantu filed a $1 million suit in Travis County in May 2026 over a December 2025 stoppage that left two riders hanging face down about 120 to 130 feet for roughly an hour.
  • The complaint alleges negligence and product defects and says the park had no timely evacuation plan and restarted the ride with the men still tilted.
  • Cantu says the hour-long strain caused head, neck, back and other injuries.
  • COTALAND says a sensor triggered a brief delay and that the coaster's safety systems worked as designed, calling the lawsuit inaccurate and motivated by greed.
  • Records show the ride passed a Texas inspection with a sticker valid through October 2026, and Austin Fire asked to meet the park to discuss stronger emergency procedures as the case moves toward discovery.