A woman hit by a rollercoaster in a horrific incident in Melbourne has a taken a positive step in her long road to recovery.
On Tuesday, a spokeswoman from the Royal Melbourne Hospital confirmed Shylah Rodden’s condition was now listed as serious rather than critical.
It comes amid revelations a man caught up in civil proceedings with the rollercoaster victim is known to her.
The family of Ms Rodden on Friday launched legal action at the County Court of Victoria for injuries the 26-year-old sustained from a traffic accident in January, 2018.
Shylah Rodden (left) and Anthony Bright in 2015. Mr Bright has been listed as the defendant in civil action.
Anthony Bright is being sued by Shylah Rodden, who remains in hospital after a shocking rollercoaster incident
Shylah Rodden’s condition is now listed as serious rather than critical
Daily Mail Australia can reveal Lalor man Anthony Bright has been listed as the defendant in the civil action.
Ms Rodden’s family filed a writ to protect her rights from the 2018 incident, claiming damages for injuries suffered by her in a transport accident as a result of the ‘negligence of Mr Bright, on or about January 29 that year’.
Mr Bright is seen pictured on social media with Ms Rodden in 2015, where the pair appeared comfortable together.
The image was liked by another member of Ms Rodden’s family, with a look at Mr Bright’s friends list indicating he was mates with her brother Jason, who died just two months before the rollercoaster incident.
Daily Mail Australia has attempted to contact Mr Bright, but has not received a response.
Ms Rodden’s father, Alan Rodden, also failed to comment on the ongoing legal action.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Bright has done anything wrong, only that he is listed as a defendant in the civil proceedings.
Shylah Rodden is fighting for life after being thrown nine metres into the air when she was struck by a rollercoaster last Sunday at the Royal Melbourne Show
Anthony Bright was known to Shylah Rodden when she accuses him of causing her an injury through negligence
On Friday, Arnold Thomas and Becker practice manager Aki Munir said Ms Rodden suffered serious injuries due to the ‘negligence of the defendant’.
‘It (the action) involves a transport accident and she sustained some significant injuries in that accident,’ Ms Munir told the Herald Sun.
‘The purpose of filing the writ is to preserve her entitlements, should anything happen to her.’
Ms Munir also said Ms Rodden’s family may pursue legal action against the Melbourne Royal Show and the operators of the Rebel Coaster ride for negligence.
On the day she was struck by the rollercoaster, Ms Rodden had been working at a friend’s stall at the show.
They had been on a break when the pair decided to go on a few rides to kill time.
It is understood she dropped her phone while on the rollercoaster and police believe Ms Rodden walked onto the tracks of the high-speed ride to retrieve the device.
Her father told Daily Mail Australia at the time his daughter had suffered life-changing injuries.
‘I can’t talk to my daughter. She’s going to be in a coma for quite a while,’ he said.
‘The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She’s brain damaged. It’s pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck – there’s hardly a thing that’s not broken. I just can’t work out how the hell so much damage has been done.
‘Even the doctors have said they haven’t seen anything as bad as this for a long time.’
Horrifying footage shows Shylah Rodden (pictured in black) moments from being hit by the Rebel Coaster at the Melbourne Royal show on Sunday
Ms Rodden was involved in three other accidents, including a serious car crash in February, 2019, and another where she flipped her car after hitting a truck in January, 2021
Police revealed last week the rollercoaster was travelling at 70km/h when she was hit.
Ms Rodden had to re-learn how to walk after she was involved in a horror crash in January 2021 when she flipped a car on the Western Ring Road in Melbourne after ploughing into a truck and a car.
She was not wearing a seatbelt and was flung from the car onto the road.
The young woman survived the crash but needed significant rehabilitation to get back on her feet and backed by her supportive parents, she managed to walk again.
Her gruelling path to recovery came after yet another serious car crash in 2019.
A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority’.
The safety watchdog WorkSafe is in the process of determining if that statement is true.
The rollercoaster that struck her reopened just days after the sickening incident.
Show management declined to comment on whether new safety procedures had been adopted in the wake of it.
Mr Rodden (pictured) has been involved in three separate traffic accidents, in 2018, 2019 and 202
A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed ‘the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority’ (pictured, the Royal Melbourne Show)
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