Six Flags X2 brain injury claims have gained renewed attention after three new lawsuits were filed in California and attorneys said more than 100 additional people have come forward with reports of injuries after riding the attraction. X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia remains closed after serious incidents involving riders in July 2026.
The latest legal developments add to a growing record of lawsuits, medical reports and regulatory scrutiny surrounding the unusual roller coaster. California officials are still investigating an incident involving the ride, while Six Flags has confirmed that X2 has remained closed since the evening of July 12.
The attraction has been at the center of controversy since two women suffered severe brain injuries within six days of each other in July. Both required emergency brain surgery. Their cases have since become part of a wider examination of the ride’s history and design.
X2 Remains Closed at Six Flags Magic Mountain
X2 is still not operating at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
The park closed the attraction on July 12, 2026. The closure followed serious incidents involving riders and an ongoing inspection by California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, commonly known as Cal/OSHA.
A Six Flags spokesperson confirmed on September 23 that the ride remains closed. The company also said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Cal/OSHA has confirmed that its Amusement Ride and Tramway Unit opened an inspection involving a reported incident connected to X2. The agency has not announced a final finding or a reopening date.
That means there is currently no confirmed public timetable for X2 to return to operation.
The continuing closure is one of the most important current facts surrounding the attraction. Despite widespread online discussion about the ride’s future, there has been no official announcement that X2 will permanently close or reopen on a specific date.
Three New Lawsuits Add to the Legal Pressure
Three new lawsuits now allege that riders suffered major brain injuries after experiencing X2.
The cases involve Pamela Guillen, Michael Wick and another rider whose case has received less public attention. Attorneys representing the plaintiffs say their firm has retained more than 100 people during the past two months who reported some degree of brain injury after riding the coaster.
The attorneys also said they accepted cases involving people who had obtained medical treatment before contacting the firm.
Those reports do not mean that every allegation has been proven. Each claim remains subject to legal proceedings and evidence.
The lawsuits do, however, represent a significant expansion of the legal scrutiny surrounding X2.
Attorneys have also indicated that additional cases could be filed in the coming weeks.
Pamela Guillen Required Emergency Brain Surgery
Pamela Guillen was visiting Six Flags Magic Mountain with her family in July to celebrate her daughter’s 16th birthday.
X2 was reportedly the family’s final ride of the day.
Guillen has said that she became confused and disoriented after leaving the attraction. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she ultimately required emergency brain surgery.
She later woke in a hospital and learned that she had spent weeks receiving intensive medical treatment.
Guillen has described being intubated and remaining in a coma. Her hospitalization lasted nearly a month.
Her lawsuit now forms part of the newest group of legal claims involving the attraction.
The case is significant because it concerns an injury that required immediate neurosurgical treatment rather than a minor ride-related complaint.
Naomi Greer-Wilkinson Suffered Another Severe Injury
Six days after Guillen’s incident, 25-year-old Naomi Greer-Wilkinson rode X2.
She reportedly became unconscious after the ride and was transported for emergency medical care.
Greer-Wilkinson’s parents have said that their daughter suffered a severe brain injury and remains in serious condition. They have continued to stay with her during her recovery.
Her case drew particular attention because it occurred less than a week after Guillen’s injury.
The two incidents became a major reason for renewed scrutiny of X2. Medical professionals involved in treating the women also raised concerns about the forces involved during the ride.
Three neurosurgeons who treated the women concluded that their injuries were consistent with a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event associated with the ride.
That medical assessment is part of the broader evidence being discussed publicly. It is not the same as a final regulatory determination.
What Makes X2 Different From a Conventional Coaster?
X2 has a design unlike most traditional roller coasters.
Its seats can rotate independently as the train travels along the track. Riders can move forward and backward while the coaster simultaneously drops, rises and turns.
The attraction covers roughly 3,600 feet of track and reaches speeds of about 76 mph. Its largest drop is approximately 200 feet.
The independently rotating seats are one of the ride’s defining features.
Instead of simply moving along the direction of the track, riders experience additional rotational movement from the seats.
That design helped make X2 one of the most recognizable attractions at Magic Mountain. It also forms an important part of the allegations raised in lawsuits involving the ride.
Plaintiffs have argued that the combination of acceleration, deceleration and seat movement can create significant movement involving the head and neck.
Six Flags has disputed allegations that the ride is inherently unsafe when operated as intended.
X2 Has a Long and Unusual History
The attraction originally opened as X in January 2002.
It was designed as a fourth-dimension roller coaster. The ride’s unusual engineering made it significantly different from conventional coaster designs.
The original attraction experienced operational and engineering problems during its early years.
A major redesign later transformed the ride.
X closed for a substantial refurbishment in 2007 and reopened as X2 in 2008. The redesigned attraction included new trains supplied by S&S Worldwide.
The changes were intended to improve the ride and maintain its distinctive rotating-seat experience.
More than two decades after the original opening, however, the attraction is now facing renewed scrutiny over its operating history.
Christopher Hawley’s 2022 Death Remains Central to the Story
Christopher Hawley’s death is another major part of the current legal history involving X2.
Hawley was 22 when he visited Six Flags Magic Mountain with family members on June 23, 2022.
After riding X2, he reportedly experienced severe head pain and difficulty walking. He subsequently lost consciousness.
Doctors discovered a catastrophic subdural hematoma and performed emergency surgery.
Hawley died the following day.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner classified his death as an accident caused by blunt head trauma sustained in a park ride accident.
His family later filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Six Flags and other parties.
The lawsuit alleged that the ride subjected riders to dangerous forces and that the defendants failed to adequately address the risks.
Six Flags and other defendants disputed the allegations.
The case was scheduled for trial in September 2026. Instead, the family reached confidential settlements with Magic Mountain LLC and S&S Worldwide before trial.
The settlement means there was no public jury verdict deciding the allegations in that case.
Another Fatality Was Reported in 2010
Christopher Hawley’s death was not the only fatality associated with X2.
Hilda Farias, 28, died after riding the attraction in 2010.
Court records described a preexisting brain abnormality that ruptured after the ride. Her family later reached a settlement with Six Flags.
The circumstances of Farias’ death differ from the allegations involving Hawley and the two women injured in 2026.
That distinction is important because the public record involves different medical conditions and different circumstances.
Still, the earlier case has become part of the historical record being examined as new litigation develops.
Previous Injury Claims Have Also Focused on X2
Other lawsuits have alleged serious injuries following rides on X2.
Sheila Katerelos has alleged that she suffered a traumatic brain injury after riding the attraction in 2020.
Lucy Alvarez has separately alleged that she suffered a traumatic brain injury after riding X2 in 2021.
Those cases remain separate from the newer lawsuits involving the 2026 incidents.
Court filings in earlier litigation also included competing expert opinions about whether the forces produced by X2 could cause traumatic brain injuries.
Those disagreements demonstrate why the current legal disputes cannot be reduced to a single conclusion.
Plaintiffs and defendants have presented different positions concerning the ride’s design, forces, warnings and safety.
Future court proceedings could examine those issues in greater detail.
Internal Records Have Become an Important Issue
One of the most significant allegations to emerge from earlier litigation involves Six Flags’ internal records.
An expert retained in Christopher Hawley’s case testified that company records contained at least 70 complaints involving head or neck injuries associated with X2 during the three years before Hawley’s death.
Those complaints are now receiving renewed attention because they potentially address what the company knew about previous rider experiences.
However, the existence of complaints does not automatically establish that the ride caused each reported injury.
Individual incidents can involve different symptoms, medical conditions and circumstances.
The significance of the records will depend on how courts and regulators evaluate the underlying information.
What Cal/OSHA Is Investigating
Cal/OSHA’s inspection remains one of the most important unresolved parts of the story.
The agency opened its inspection after a reported incident involving X2 in July.
Officials have not publicly released a final determination about the attraction.
The inspection therefore remains an active regulatory matter.
Until Cal/OSHA completes its work and releases applicable findings, it would be premature to state that regulators have determined X2 is unsafe or that a particular ride design caused the reported injuries.
The same caution applies to claims about the ride’s future.
No permanent closure has been announced.
No confirmed reopening date has been announced either.
Why the July Incidents Changed the Conversation
The July incidents received substantial attention because two riders reportedly suffered serious brain injuries within six days.
Both required emergency neurosurgical treatment.
The incidents also occurred against the backdrop of earlier lawsuits and the 2022 death of Hawley.
That combination brought much greater public attention to X2’s history.
The attraction had operated for years and developed a reputation among coaster enthusiasts for its intensity and unusual seating system.
The current controversy is different because it involves multiple active legal claims and an ongoing state inspection.
The questions now extend beyond individual injuries.
They include the design of the ride, its maintenance history, operating procedures, warning systems and the handling of previous injury reports.
What Six Flags Has Said About the Ride
Six Flags has not publicly accepted responsibility for the injuries alleged in the lawsuits.
The company has historically disputed claims that X2’s forces can cause traumatic brain injuries to riders who use the attraction as instructed.
The company has also maintained that its rides undergo inspection and maintenance procedures.
In the latest statement, the park confirmed that X2 remains closed and said it would not comment on pending litigation.
That leaves the current regulatory inspection and court cases to address the disputed allegations.
What Happens Next for X2
Several developments could affect the future of the attraction.
Cal/OSHA could eventually release additional information about its inspection.
The newly filed lawsuits could move through the California court system and introduce additional evidence about the alleged injuries.
More riders could also pursue legal claims, given the statement from attorneys that more than 100 people have contacted their firm.
The court cases involving earlier injuries could provide additional testimony about X2’s operation and design.
There is also the question of whether Six Flags will make any operational or engineering changes before considering a reopening.
At present, none of those outcomes has been formally announced.
The Current Picture Surrounding X2
The latest information presents several confirmed developments.
X2 remains closed at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Cal/OSHA continues its inspection.
Three new lawsuits allege serious brain injuries connected to the ride.
Attorneys involved in the new cases say more than 100 additional people have reported possible brain injuries to their firm.
Two women suffered severe injuries in July and required emergency brain surgery.
Christopher Hawley’s family reached a confidential settlement after his 2022 death following a ride on X2.
Earlier legal claims have also alleged serious injuries following rides on the attraction.
At the same time, there has been no final regulatory ruling establishing that X2 caused every reported injury.
That distinction will remain important as the investigation and lawsuits continue.
For visitors and families following the situation, the ride’s current status is straightforward: X2 is closed, and there is no confirmed public reopening date.
The broader questions about its design, safety history and responsibility for individual injuries remain under review through the legal and regulatory processes.
The story surrounding X2 continues to develop, so share your thoughts below and stay informed as new verified updates emerge.