ORLANDO, Fla.,None — Late Friday afternoon, WFTV heard from the man who designed a Disney ride, which is now the target of a lawsuit.
Marvin Cohen is suing Disney, claiming he had a stroke 23 days after he rode the Tower of Terror at Disney's now Hollywood Studios, back in 1998.
The incident happened twelve years ago, but it's just now coming to trial. The lawsuit was filed in 2002. It took eight years for 80-year-old Marvin Cohen to get his day in court.
Disney engineer Mark Sumner defended the design of the Tower of Terror in front of jurors Friday in court.
"The risk of injury on the Tower of Terror is no greater than the risk of injury on It's a Small World," Sumner said.
The senior engineer said the attraction was developed in the early 90s and then the ride opened to the public in 1994.
Marvin Cohen 041610 Marvin Cohen Cohen is suing Disney and claims he suffered a stroke because of it. The stroke occurred a little over three weeks after he rode the attraction. His defense attorney claims Disney did not test all aspects of the ride and therefore put passengers at risk.
But Sumner said the design team put safety at the forefront.
"In the design of the ride equipment and the ride control system, we looked at all sorts of failure analysis as we talked about those early on and either eliminated those or mitigate those," Sumner said.
Cohen's attorney also believes the theme park failed to provide adequate warning to guests about potential safety risks. Disney believes Cohen's stroke was caused by other medical problems.
Disney also says there were plenty of warning signs in front of the attraction, explaining what guests should expect before getting on the ride.
The three-week trial will resume on Monday.
Previous Stories: April 15, 2010: Man Claims 'Tower Of Terror' Caused Stroke
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