ORLANDO, Fla. — A Seminole County woman is suing over injuries she says she got on the roller coaster Stardust Racers at Epic Universe.
It’s the same ride where 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died last week.
The lawsuit filed on Wednesday says a 49-year-old woman has been dealing with pain from an injury sustained on Stardust Racers nearly five months ago.
The lawsuit alleges the woman got on the ride Stardust Racers at Epic Universe in April. The filing claims the woman was a business invitee and visited the park before it was officially open to the public.
According to the lawsuit, while riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster, her “head shook violently and slammed into her seat’s headrest throughout the duration of the ride.”
Attorney Nicholas Spetsas filed the lawsuit requesting a jury trial and at least $50,000 in damages.
The complaint alleges, Universal City Development Partners LTD, “failed to properly restrain the plaintiff’s head… failed to correct an unreasonably dangerous condition… and failed to provide proper safety precautions.”
“When you walk through those gates of a park, you’re trusting that park with your safety, and no one is going to a theme park expecting to be injured or die,” Spetsas said.
According to Spetsas, his client left the park early on April 30 because she was feeling unwell after the ride.
“As a direct and proximate result of Defendant’s aforementioned negligence, Plaintiff suffered severe and permanent bodily injuries, pain and suffering,” reads the lawsuit.
Channel 9 asked Spetsas about the injury but he declined to provide specifics instead stating it was a traumatic head injury.
“Whenever you’re dealing with the tragic death of another gentleman as well as now injuries that are arising from this ride, I think that raises serious concerns about the safety of the ride,” Spetsas said.
WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer told Channel 9 the new filing could strengthen an eventual case filed on behalf of Rodriguez Zavala’s family.
So far, the medical examiner has only confirmed Rodriguez Zavala died of multiple blunt impact injuries, but attorneys for his family say those injuries were from Rodriguez Zavala repeatedly hitting his head on metal from the ride.
“There’s some commonality there that may benefit both lawsuits in this matter,” said Sheaffer.
Sheaffer said if Rodriguez Zavala did in fact die of a head injury, the lawsuit filed by Spetsas could play a role.
“The more plaintiffs you have, the better it is for the plaintiffs, and the bigger nightmare it is for Universal,” said Sheaffer.
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