The Real Facts about “Class Action Park”

The HBO Documentary Shows Why Personal Injury Law Protects Us All

Many native New Jerseyans remember Action Park, the infamous Vernon Township amusement park that closed in 1996. The park made headlines for years as a steady parade of seriously injured customers left with lacerations, broken bones, head injuries or worse. In 2020, Action Park deaths found their way to the headlines again with Class Action Park, a documentary film about America’s most infamous amusement park. The film is currently available on Max (formerly HBO Max).

A Brief History of Class Action Park

The story of Action Park begins with Park founder Gene Mulvihill, a penny stockbroker who became rich from “pump-and-dump” schemes. Mulvihill did not believe in coddling the public; his philosophy meant that the amusement park visitors who entrusted him to protect them should control their own experience. Questions of how fast to slide, how high to swing and how dangerously to behave became matters of personal preference.

When Action Park opened in Vernon, New Jersey, in 1978, it was among the first modern water parks in the United States. Action Park was borne of the hands-off philosophy, with minimal regulatory oversight and countless human injuries. (The injuries are countless simply because park employees were instructed not to count them).

Class Action Park offers this trailer:

Action Park Rides

Action Park, infamously known as “Accident Park”, had it all—including multiple personal injury lawsuits. Unlike other theme parks, Action Park included an array of rides and features that dramatically increased the risk of human injury. Such rides included:

• Cannonball Loop: an enclosed water slide featuring a complete vertical loop. Customers ended up with bloody noses, broken teeth and head injuries. One urban legend claims that, when park owners sent a test dummy on the Cannonball Loop, It came back decapitated. Critical safety issues didn’t stop Gene Mulvihill; instead of consulting with engineers, physicists or risk assessors, Mulvihill simply offered his employees $100 to test out the ride. Multiple employees wound up with bloody noses and bruises, but he opened the ride anyway. One person even remembers hearing that a patron got stuck at the top of the loop, prompting the park to build a hatch to aid in future rescues. Just a month after it opened—and after countless injuries, on and off the official record—it was shut down by the Advisory Board on Carnival Amusement Ride Safety.

• The Tarzan Swing: a 20-foot-long (6.1 m) cable hung from a steel arch, hanging from over a frigid, freshwater pool. Between patrons letting go too soon (crashing into the water) or too late (scraping their toes on the concrete), the Tarzan Swing saw multiple injuries. Even when a customer’s execution was perfect, the cold water was enough to make it hard to swim to safety. In 1984, one customer died from a heart attack after attempting the Tarzan Swing.

• The Kayak Experience.  One patron got out of his kayak and stepped on a grate, which exposed live wiring. He suffered a severe electric shock, which led to cardiac arrest. The New York Times reported that t​​wo other persons on the ride reported they had felt an electrical shock.
• Tidal Wave Pool: a freshwater pool with giant, man-made waves. Nicknamed “The Grave Pool,” this attraction required lifeguards to rescue more than 30 customers a day on peak weekends. The fresh water made patrons less buoyant than they would be in natural waves, which left even competent swimmers more than three feet underwater at the wave’s peak. Over the course of the park’s time in operation, three visitors drowned in the wave pool, even with multiple lifeguards on duty.

• Alpine Slide: a long, cement-and-fiberglass-filled track that had visitors ride down in single-occupant, four-wheeled chassis. One Action Park’s Alpine Slide had each rider control their own speed—at least in theory. In reality, many vehicles had braking devices that were missing or broken; customers either couldn’t stop, or couldn’t go fast enough to avoid getting rammed from behind by other vehicles. According to state records, there were at least 14 fractures and 26 head injuries caused by this attraction. It also caused the park’s first recorded fatality, when a customer suffered a fatal head injury after riding completely off the track.

The Final Death Count

By the time Action Park closed in 1996, the park owner’s negligence had led to six fatalities: including three drownings, one electrocution, one heart attack and a fatal head injury. Additionally, countless more people were injured throughout the years. Between undertrained, under-supervised ride operators and an executive team more interested in making money and pushing boundaries than protecting the safety of its patrons, the death toll would have continued to climb had the park not been forced to close.

Action Park and The Importance of Personal Injury Lawsuits

During its 18-year run, there were more than 100 lawsuits connected to Action Park. While many young people flocked to the park for its “Wild West” reputation, many also discovered that the danger was very real. The park saw countless injuries and six deaths.

So what does America’s most dangerous amusement park teach us about the value of personal injury lawsuits, consumer protection rights and regulatory oversight?

1. Accidents happen more often when no one is held responsible.

Action Park owner Gene Mulvihill dodged insurance regulations, safety laws, and alcohol consumption protocols (treating doctors noted that some of the injured patrons—many of whom were underage—were visibly intoxicated). His flagrant disregard for his patrons’ safety was at the root of every Action Park incident.

2. People get injured when they do not understand the risks.

Many Action Park customers did not know the risks of the rides, putting their trust in the business owners to maintain a facility that met minimum safety standards. This lack of understanding—coupled with the management’s wanton disregard for safety, testing, and oversight—put countless people at physical risk.

3. Personal injury lawsuits prevent countless tragic accidents from happening every year.

The threat of legal action was what finally shut down Action Park. Without legal intervention, many more serious injuries, and even deaths, would have continued to happen. Moreover, the personal injury lawsuits brought against Action Park undoubtedly deterred other irresponsible business owners from entering the market and lowering the bar for the kind of consumer protections people should expect at amusement park venues.

Frequently Asked Questions about Action Park

How many people died at Action Park?

During its 18-year run, from 1978 to 1996, Action park saw six fatalities:

1. 1980: George Larsson, Jr. (19), on the Alpine Slide (head injury)
2. 1982: George Lopez, (15), in the Tidal Wave Pool (drowning)
3. 1982: Jeffrey Nathan (27), on the Kayak Experience (electrocution)
4. 1984: An unnamed visitor, on the Tarzan Swing (heart attack) 
5. 1984: Donald DePass (20), in the Tidal Wave Pool (drowning)
6. 1987: Gregory Grandchamps (18), in the Tidal Wave Pool (drowning)

Is Action Park still open?

No. After widespread pressure and public outcry, Action Park permanently closed in 1996. 

What happened to the Action Park owner?

Park founder and CEO Gene Mulvihill died in at home on October 27, 2012, at the age of 78. He left behind his wife, Gail, and six children. His cause of death was not made public.

Is Class Action Park a real documentary?

Class Action Park (2020) is a documentary film about the infamous American amusement park Action Park, which opened in Vernon Township, New Jersey, in 1978. As of this writing, Class Action Park is available on HBO Max. 

What is Class Action Park rated?

Class Action Park is not rated.

How long is the Class Action Park documentary?

Class Action Park has a run time of about 90 minutes.

Is Action Park still open?

No, Action Park closed permanently in 1996. A water park called Mountain Creek Waterpark now exists on the same piece of land where Action Park once stood, but it’s under different ownership.

When did Action Park close?

Action Park closed due to bankruptcy in 1998. Shortly after one of his close friends and investors was sentenced to ten years in jail for money laundering, Gene Mulvihill filed for bankruptcy and shut down Action Park permanently.

Is Class Action Park based on a true story?

Yes. Class Action Park is named after the eponymous “Action Park”, which operated from 1978-1996, during which it gained the reputation of being among the most dangerous amusement parks in America.

What happened to Action Park?

In 2010, Mulvihill led a committee to buy the park back. It reopened in 2014 with a new name, Mountain Creek Waterpark, and now advertises its trained lifeguard staff and stringent, up-to-standards safety features. But for a generation of kids from the Tri-State area, nothing will replace the dangerous thrills of a hot summer day at Action Park.

Conclusion

As a personal injury attorney, I see the victims of preventable injuries come through my office every day. I believe that the people of New Jersey deserve to be safe: at home, at work or at play. Action Park stands as an example of how personal injury laws protect us all—and what happens when we don’t put safety first.

Have you been injured at a waterpark?

If you have been injured in a waterpark, amusement park or other recreational facility, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries. Contact Arlen Law Firm today to discuss your case. We offer free, confidential consultations, and you never pay unless we recover money for you.