Tragic Death of Disabled Woman After Being Laughed at by Disneyland Staff

The wrongful death lawsuit was brought by Joanne Aguilar's family in Ventura County, California, in the autumn. A judge was appointed to the case early this month. The Walt Disney Company, its theme park division, and Disneyland are all named as defendants in the complaint.

The complaint, which The New York Post was able to obtain, claims that on August 21, 2021, Aguilar went to the Anaheim theme park with her two adult daughters, Zenobia Hernandez and Andrea Maullul.

Aguilar, who was at the time suffering from a knee injury, received a wheelchair from the park thanks to the family.

Employees at the Jungle Cruise attraction informed Aguilar that there was no wheelchair-accessible boat available when the women attempted to ride it.

Aguilar and her daughters chose to take a regular boat instead of the ADA-accessible one allowing disabled park visitors to board without getting out of their wheelchairs.

After the ride was over, park staff allegedly added "little unsecured bricks" to the steps of the boat to make them shorter, but Aguilar found them challenging to climb.

The lawsuit claims that rather than assisting the family, Disneyland staff members started "snickering and chuckling" at the woman's difficulties, making her feel ashamed and embarrassed.

Due to the circumstance and the litigation, Aguilar "felt dehumanized."

Aguilar broke her right femur seconds later after losing her footing on the stairs and falling backward. She would stay in a hospital for 10 days before being sent to a rehab facility.

The woman spent five months in the California institution near Oxnard before developing an illness, going into septic shock, and passing away on January 29, 2022.

As claimed in the lawsuit, the woman's injuries from the fall at Disneyland caused her death. According to the federal complaint, the Americans with Disabilities Act was violated, and there was a wrongful death.

According to the family's lawyer, Michael Jeandron, to Orange County Register:

The family of Aguilar is requesting unspecified compensation for Aguilar's physical, emotional, and psychological suffering, as well as all related medical bills, funeral costs, and legal fees.

However, Disney has refuted all of the charges in court documents, asserting that it was not responsible for Aguilar's injuries and that she and her girls were aware of the dangers associated with visiting the theme park.

The business asked for the case to be dropped.

The 66-year-old and her daughters were aware of the risks they were taking in Anaheim park, according to the park's lawyers, who also claimed that other people or entities were responsible for her injuries. For this reason, the park wants the case to be dismissed.