Grandfather loses legal career after rollercoaster left him needing emergency brain surgery

A grandfather claims that a trip to US theme park Six Flags with his grandchildren landed him with a brain injury that forced him to drop the legal career he'd spent decades building.

Michael Wilk is one of three people suing Six Flags Magic Mountain in California over its X2 rollercoaster, alleging that it caused him life-changing neutological damage.

The once-popular rollercoaster has been under scrutiny after an explosive investigation by CNN found that the ride had been linked to multiple cases of traumatic brain injury.

Since the investigation was published, more than 100 people have come forward with claims that the coaster had caused them serious injuries of varying severity.

Michael Wilk is one of three people suing Six Flags over its X2 rollercoaster. (Mathew Imaging/WireImage)

Wilk, a Los Angeles attorney, is one of three people who filed lawsuits against Six Flags this week, alleging that a ride on the X2 in February left his cognitive function so impaired that he was forced to abandon his career.

The X2 coaster was beloved among adrenaline junkies, boasting speeds of up to 76mph, dramatic drops, and seats that rotate a full 360 degrees, according to the company's website.

Although Six Flags has not officially commented on the investigation into X2, the ride has been closed since 12 July, according to The Guardian.

According to Wilk's lawsuit, the insurance defence attorney felt a stabbing pain in his head immediately after going on the X2, and experienced dizziness as well as difficulty walking.

The X2 has been closed since 12 July. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The grandfather held off on seeking medical attention at first, but soon noticed over the following weeks that his cognitive function was quickly declining to the point that it was affecting his job.

An MRI scan found that Wilk was dealing with massive bleeding and swelling inside his skull, and would require a few surgeries to relieve the pressure on his brain.

Since then, the lawsuit states that Wilk still suffers with dizziness, confusion, memory loss, debilitating headaches, and personality changes, and that he can no longer practice law.

Speaking to CNN, Wilk shared: "My brain has difficulty processing the words, and so unless it’s extraordinarily clear and loud, my brain gets the word wrong. I think I miss about half the conversations I’m in

“I truly hope that by coming forward, changes will be made.”

Attorney Christopher Bulone, representing the alleged victims of the X2, told press this week: "Mike Wilk had no idea when he was getting in line for the ride with his grandchildren that he was getting on something dangerous that was going to cost him his career, that was going to lead to him having his skull cut open so that blood could be drained out of his skull."

An MRI scan found that Wilk was dealing with massive bleeding and swelling inside his skull. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In previous court filings involving Six Flags, lawyers have argued that the X2 ride has passed ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards, which would which check amusement park rides for safety.

However, Bulone argued that, although amusement park rides pass these tests, 'time after time, innocent people are coming off the ride with permanent brain damage.'

He continued: "They've never thought to try to ascertain whether these tests were sufficient. They're clearly not."