Eriksson has said in several interviews that the park feels a great responsibility after the accident on the Jetline roller coaster in June 2023, even though it denies any wrongdoing.
Gröna Lund denies the allegations of wrongdoing made by the prosecutor and opposes paying damages to the victims. So what responsibility does he mean? For me, it is contradictory, says the plaintiff's attorney Anja Åström, who represents the Elmegard couple.
Karin Elmegard fell out of the carriage in the accident and suffered life-threatening injuries. Her husband Mikael was also thrown out but managed to cling to a beam on the roller coaster.
“It’s about everyone”
Both react strongly to the fact that Gröna Lund's CEO says he feels responsible while the park refuses to pay damages or admit that anything was wrong.
"It's not just about the two of us, but about everyone who was involved in the accident. I actually think that "Grönan" should be ashamed of that, which claims to be a company for the whole family," Mikael Elmegard tells TT.
Karin Elmegard believes that Gröna Lund has been unclear about what it has done to make the park safer, and that real change work requires admitting that it has made mistakes.
"If you don't think you should take responsibility for different things in your park, I would like you to tell your customers that. You could have put up a sign at Jetline that this roller coaster can only be braked in two places and at the end," she says.
“Doesn’t hinder us”
Jan Eriksson says he understands that people are reacting to his statement.
But what is now to be tested are the legal approaches and that does not prevent us from feeling responsible for what happened at Gröna Lund that day. We have worked continuously since then to ensure that it never happens again. So the feeling of responsibility is great but what is to be tested now are the legal conditions, he tells TT outside the courtroom at Stockholm District Court.
One can feel responsible without admitting that one has committed a crime, is that how it should be understood?
Yes, says Jan Eriksson.
The trial will continue on Thursday with questioning of several plaintiffs in the case.
The accident occurred on June 25, 2023, when the Jetline roller coaster partially derailed after the support arm on the underside of the front car broke. The parts of the support arm with the wheels on either side of the train completely came loose and fell off.
The Swedish National Accident Investigation Board (SHK) harshly criticized Gröna Lund in its final report. According to SHK, Gröna Lund's order for the support arm in question, which was placed in 2019, was deficient.
Gröna Lund placed the order for the new support arms with Mekosmos, who in turn placed them with GMW. According to police and prosecutors, Gröna Lund's order lacked important parts regarding the requirements that must be met during manufacturing.
GMW, which made the support arms, lacked the certification to manufacture fairground parts, and missed a crucial part of the welding. This meant that the support arm would not be able to withstand the pressures that occurred on the Jetline. This could not be detected during later inspections.
