A San Antonio man is suing SeaWorld San Antonio after he says a theme park employee first cinched his restraint bar too tight on the Steel Eel hypercoaster, then loosened it too much once he complained, leaving him bounced and jostled through the ride with what he describes as serious back injuries.
Sterling Kelly filed the lawsuit against SeaWorld of Texas, LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleging negligence tied to the June 10, 2025 visit, according to KSAT. Kelly and his grandson had boarded the Steel Eel that day, and the suit claims a park employee secured the restraint bar too tightly before adjusting it, loosening it too much after Kelly raised a concern.
That loosened bar, the lawsuit alleges, caused Kelly to be bounced, jostled and thrown around during the ride. He says he heard popping and cracking in his back and felt immediate pain while the coaster was still running, and that he was unable to exit the ride car on his own once it ended, requiring SeaWorld employees to help him out, per the station's report.
Injuries and Damages Claimed
Kelly says he suffered severe personal injuries, permanent bodily impairment, loss of earning capacity and ongoing medical expenses as a result of the incident, according to the same account. He is seeking exemplary damages and has requested a jury trial. KSAT reported that it contacted SeaWorld San Antonio for comment but did not receive a response.
The Steel Eel itself is a 150-foot hypercoaster built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing that opened in March 1999, reaching speeds up to 65 mph and subjecting riders to as much as 3.5 Gs along its 3,700 feet of track, according to ThrillZing. The ride uses a lap bar and seatbelt restraint system.
What the Lawsuit Must Prove for Punitive Damages
To win exemplary damages for gross negligence in Texas, Kelly's attorneys will need to meet a demanding legal standard. Under Section 41.001 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, a plaintiff must show by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant had actual, subjective awareness of an extreme risk but proceeded with conscious indifference to the safety of others, according to statute language cited by Justia. The lawsuit alleges SeaWorld had or should have had subjective awareness of the risks involved and proceeded with conscious indifference to the rights, safety and welfare of others.
Even if a jury sides with Kelly on that heightened claim, Texas law caps most exemplary damages at the greater of $200,000 or double economic damages plus non-economic damages up to $750,000, unless the conduct involves specific felony crimes, per guidance from Trey Morris Injury Lawyers.
Regulatory Oversight and Corporate Context
Texas regulates commercial amusement rides under Chapter 2151 of the Texas Occupations Code, the Amusement Ride Safety Inspection and Insurance Act, which requires annual safety inspections by an insurer-approved inspector and at least $1 million to $1.5 million in liability insurance before a ride can receive a Texas Department of Insurance compliance sticker, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. The state delegates those inspections to certified third-party inspectors retained by insurance underwriters rather than sending its own field inspectors.
SeaWorld San Antonio's parent company, SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., rebranded as United Parks & Resorts Inc. in February 2024, changing its NYSE ticker symbol to PRKS while keeping existing park brand names in place. The company, which operates 13 theme and water parks across North America and internationally, faced other guest injury lawsuits in late 2025, including an October 2025 Florida complaint alleging a rider was struck by a bird on a coaster at SeaWorld Orlando and a September 2025 suit alleging a projectile injured a child rider on the Mako coaster, as reported by Inside The Magic.
