Wife of Columbus man who died after injury at SeaWorld sues for more than $30,000
The wife of a Columbus man who died 11 days after suffering a head injury at SeaWorld Orlando is seeking more than $30,000 in damages.
According to a report by FloridaPolitics.com, Wanda Torres is suing the Florida theme park in Orange County Circuit Court. The article provides the following account from Morgan & Morgan lawyer Brandon Smith of what happened to Torres’ husband, Hector Martinez Monterrosa, during their March 27, 2021, visit to SeaWorld.
Monterrosa’s disability required him to use a wheelchair to enter the park. While Torres was pushing him in the wheelchair, Monterrosa fell off the wheelchair when it hit an uneven sidewalk, Smith said.
“He landed on his back and hit his head on the ground,” Smith said in the article.
Paramedics transported Monterrosa to Osceola Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released. But he continued to feel unwell and experienced a loss of appetite, Smith said.
So he was readmitted to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a subdural hematoma, a buildup of blood on the surface of the brain. He died April 7, 2021, at 73.
“Tragically, due to SeaWorld’s alleged failure to properly maintain their sidewalks, Hector sustained severe injuries that later led to his death,” Morgan & Morgan said in a written statement quoted in the article. “We strongly believe his death could have been prevented and will fight to ensure SeaWorld is held accountable.”
The article reported SeaWorld declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation.
According to his obituary, Monterrosa was born in Puerto Rico. He is survived by three children and Torres, who he married in 2017 after meeting in church.
