Defunct Santa's Village sued over rough ride on roller coaster

Santa's Village closed four years ago, but an Oswego woman says she continues to suffer from a ride on the former East Dundee theme park's Typhoon roller coaster.

Tamara Riggio and her husband Dominic filed a negligence lawsuit in Kane County this week claiming the thrill ride's "pushing, pulling, twisting, jerking and severe gravitational forces" left her with a severe brain injury.

According to the complaint, Santa's Village, its parent company and the Typhoon's manufacturer collectively built, operated and maintained a ride that was "defective and unreasonably dangerous."

As a result, attorney Brian Shallcross said, Tamara Riggio suffered a brain bleed.

"There's certainly some risk assumed when you get on a ride like that," he said. "But no one assumes they're risking a brain bleed because a ride is being operated at unsafe speeds."

Representatives of Santa's Village, which closed in 2005, and parent company, the North Pole Corp., could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Their phones were disconnected.

Santa's Village, 601 Dundee Ave., closed due to financial difficulties after 47 years in business. The 62-foot Typhoon, purchased in 1998 for $1.5 million, was among assets that later went to auction, fetching about $250,000.

Clifford Law Offices in Chicago initially filed suit on behalf of the Riggios in 2003. Shallcross said the suit was dismissed last year due to discovery delays, then refiled Monday within statutory limitations.

The family is seeking at least $50,000 in damages.