Attorney sues Six Flags after X2 coaster allegedly causes permanent brain injury

Michael Wilk, a veteran attorney, filed a lawsuit alleging that a February ride on the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain caused catastrophic brain injury, rendering him unable to practice law. He reports that the coaster’s rotating seats caused his head to slam into the headrest, after which he experienced severe head pain, dizziness and difficulty walking. A June 4 MRI showed massive intracranial bleeding, swelling and a midline brain shift, prompting emergency embolization that failed, followed by two craniotomies.

Despite surgery, Wilk continues to endure chronic headaches, confusion, memory loss and personality changes, which he says constitute permanent cognitive impairment. The complaint references at least a dozen other riders injured on X2, notably 22-year-old Christopher Hawley, who died after a similar injury in 2022. The coaster has been closed since July while Cal/OSHA investigates a separate incident. Wilk is pursuing damages for medical expenses and past and future lost income.