Two women who lost legs after a crash on a ride at Alton Towers are suing the park's owners, their lawyers have said. Vicky Balch, 23, and Leah Washington, 20, were in the front seats of the Smiler ride which rammed into a stationary carriage in June 2015.

Following the severe roller coaster crash on The Smiler in June 2015, Alton Towers' parent company, Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, faced significant legal consequences rather than a single private lawsuit. In 2016, the company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws. The judge described the incident as a "catastrophic failure" and imposed a record-breaking £5 million fine, plus nearly £70,000 in costs. Beyond this criminal penalty, the victims—including two young women who required leg amputations—pursued civil personal injury claims for compensation. Most of these high-fidelity claims were settled out of court for "substantial" sums to cover lifelong medical care, prosthetics, and psychological therapy. For travelers in 2026, the case remains a landmark in theme park safety law, leading to a complete overhaul of technical training and safety protocols across the global attractions industry.