This Type of Fear Brings A Lot of Money.

Reading this type of story, I always ask myself, 'will money make this better?'

"Knott's Berry Farm has agreed to a financial settlement with the family of a 12-year-old boy who was seriously injured during a 2009 accident on the Xcelerator roller coaster.

Kyle Wheeler was sitting in the front row of Xcelerator when the roller coaster's launch cable snapped, whipped toward the riders and split the fiberglass car in half.

The severed cable lashed Kyle's left calf and sprayed debris in the face of his father, Russell, who was sitting next to his son as Xcelerator raced toward the coaster's trademark top hat element.

Every moment of the harrowing September 2009 accident -- from the initial thrill to the ensuing terror -- was captured by on-board ride video that has since been viewed more than 700,000 times on YouTube.

Anita Wheeler watched helplessly from the ground as the 80-mph episode unfolded before her eyes.

"I literally thought I had just watched my son and husband die in front of my eyes," the Weaverville, Calif., mother wrote in an online chat room shortly after the accident.

Over the ensuing months, Kyle underwent multiple surgeries to repair muscle damage to his leg and graft skin over his injuries. The operations were followed by physical therapy to restore function to his left knee and ankle.

And while Kyle has fully recovered from the accident,  according to Morgan, the family's lawyer, the boy will need a $30,000 surgery later in life to remove scar tissue. The family has racked up more than $60,000 in medical bills so far, according to Morgan.

An investigation by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health found that the Xcelerator accident could have been prevented with proper maintenance, casting blame on both the theme park and the ride manufacturer, Switzerland-based Intamin.

The report said the snapped cable exhibited "gross amounts of fatigue" and found the force of the accident sheared off 18 of the 20 magnets on the bottom of the coaster cars used for launching and braking."

I always assumed they checked these rides every morning before opening the park?!.

Source: LA Times

It's good that he escaped with his life and recovered from the incident, it's normal that the company pays for the mistake.

I absolutely agree, they should pay for their mistake!
I have always wondered though, to those who have lost a loved one, or had one permanently disabled, does the money really mend things?
Just like the memorable line in Armageddon, "You know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder."

There really isn't any accountability in America anymore, it's all about doing the job the quickest, for the lowest price.

No.. Money doesn't make it better but for survivors, it helps with medical costs, rehabilitation, etc.
For those that died, the ones left behind may need money just to cover the funeral costs.

Money doesn't make up for death but if a company has to pay through their nose perhaps they will make things safer for everyone in the future.