Woman Hurt on Ohio Fair Ride Gets $1.8M From Ride Owner, Others

A woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a thrill ride accident at last year’s Ohio State Fair will receive $1.8 million.

A judge this week approved the settlement that calls for the ride’s owner, Amusements of America, and two private inspection companies to pay Jennifer Lambert’s legal fees and medical expenses.

The settlement includes a trust to pay for ongoing care for Lambert, who remains in a long-term care facility.

Lambert will get $1.1 million and the remainder will pay attorneys and other expenses.

She was 18 when a carriage on the Fire Ball ride broke apart last July, killing a teenager and seriously injuring her and three others.

The family of the man who died has reached a proposed $1.3 million settlement.

The Fire Ball ride broke apart at the State Fair in July, flinging a four-passenger carriage into the air, killing 18-year-old high school student Tyler Jarrell and injuring seven people.

Dutch manufacturer KMG said the cause was excessive corrosion of a support beam. Corrosion experts say the company’s account points to water or wet debris being trapped within the hollow support arm, likely while it was being transported or stored during the winter.

The ride’s operator, Amusements of America, submitted paperwork to the Ohio State Fair showing it completed ultrasonic testing of the ride’s 24 gondola arm pins last October. But it’s not clear whether the tests examined the area where the carriage broke.

The state Department of Agriculture said it would not fine the operators of the Fire Ball. Chief inspector Michael Vartorella said that Amusements of America “was in compliance with the requirements of Ohio law.”