It’s the American Dream maul.
A New Jersey mom was hurt after a kid riding a motorized, plush jungle animal at the giant East Rutherford, NJ, shopping complex barreled into her while she held her 2-year-old daughter, according to a lawsuit.
Jia Li, 36, of Millburn, is at least the third American Dream patron injured by the colorful scooters, called Dream Riders, according to court papers.
Dream Rider at the American Dream mall, according to a lawsuit. Courtesy of Jia Li
An 8-year-old on an elephant slammed into Li from behind in July 2023, fracturing her right foot, according to the Bergen County filing.
“Who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea to let children ride go-karts in a crowded mall?” Li’s lawyers, Evan Lide and Robert Bratman, told The Post.
She “screamed for help” and went into mama bear mode, the lawyers said.
“Her main concern was protecting her little baby girl, and she was able to hold her as she fell and protect the baby from injury,” Bratman said, adding, “the baby was upset and began crying.”
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Kids and parents can zip through some areas of the mall on the motorized elephants, lions, tigers and panda bears.
“We are the largest provider of plush motorized animal ride-ons that are specifically designed to be a safe, comfortable, and fun entertainment option for kids and families,” the Dream Riders website touts.
Lide scoffed at the company’s online claim that the carts are “easy to maneuver and moves at walking speed.”
“You go on YouTube and Google it and you see them moving at a pretty good clip,” he said.
The wild animals cost $1 a minute to rent and can hold up to 250 pounds.
Riders must be at least 4 feet tall to ride by themselves.
The mall was negligent, careless, reckless and failed to provide safe walking conditions, Li argues in her legal filing.
The tattoo artist and former Queens resident seeks unspecified damages.
The furballs of fury have reportedly struck before.
A Long Island woman claimed in a March lawsuit she was walking in American Dream’s first level when she was hit by a child in a Dream Rider.
Trinidad Javier claimed she suffered spinal injuries and needed surgery.
In a July 19 lawsuit, Hudson County, NJ resident Andrew Ruggiero alleged he was “struck in the back by an unsupervised young child” on a Dream Rider. Ruggiero claimed “severely and permanently” injuries.
Dream Riders are also available at the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada.
American Dream declined comment. Dream Riders did not return messages.
