Orlando, Fla. – A legal battle has emerged between a woman and Universal Studios following an incident involving a security dog attack during her visit last year, as revealed by court documents submitted on Wednesday.
Identified in the lawsuit as Jennifer Rhodes, the woman visited Orlando’s renowned theme park in August 2024 with her three young children. Notably, one of her children is severely autistic, which prompted Rhodes to seek special assistance for their visit.
In preparation for the trip, Rhodes contacted the park’s guest services to inquire about accommodating her daughter’s needs upon entering the park.
The lawsuit details that Rhodes was advised to speak with a security guard upon arrival and inform them of her daughter’s condition. It was suggested that the guard would facilitate their entry into the park.
Following the given instructions, Rhodes, accompanied by her children, approached a security guard who was on duty with a guard dog, as indicated in the lawsuit.
Tragically, when Rhodes attempted to explain her situation regarding her autistic child, the security dog unexpectedly attacked her, according to the lawsuit’s claims.
“Without provocation or fault by (Rhodes), the dog proceeded to jump on (Rhodes) and savagely attacked her, biting (Rhodes) on her arm, wrist and abdomen, and causing (Rhodes) to suffer serious and permanent injuries,” the lawsuit continues.
Now, Rhodes is accusing Southern Coast K9 of liability and negligence in the attack, arguing by extension that Universal acted negligently for contracting with the security company.
As a result, Rhodes is seeking at least $5 million in damages from the two companies.
You can read the full lawsuit below:
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