A woman has filed a lawsuit against Universal Orlando Resort, claiming she suffered permanent injuries on a roller coaster at the resort’s Epic Universe theme park. The lawsuit, filed in state court in Orlando, follows a tragic incident just days earlier in which a man died after riding the same attraction.
Sandi Streets, the plaintiff, claims that she was invited to the park before its official opening in May, where she rode the dual-launch coaster. According to the lawsuit, during the ride, her head shook violently, slamming into the headrest, causing lasting injuries. Streets alleges that the ride failed to properly restrain her head and that the theme park did not adequately warn her of the ride’s dangerous conditions.
As a result of the incident, Streets claims to have experienced a range of negative effects, including permanent disability, mounting medical expenses, and a loss of the ability to work. Additionally, the lawsuit states that the accident worsened a preexisting condition. Streets’ attorney has not provided further details on her injuries at this time.
The lawsuit specifically accuses Universal of negligence, stating that the park failed to ensure the ride’s safety and did not provide sufficient warnings regarding its potentially unsafe nature. The park, however, has not yet commented on the legal action.
This lawsuit comes on the heels of another concerning incident involving the same roller coaster. A man named Kevin Rodriguez Zavala tragically died after riding the attraction. Medical examiners ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt impact injuries, and investigators confirmed that the ride systems were functioning properly at the time of the accident. However, Zavala’s family has raised questions about the findings, stating that his death was not related to his preexisting spinal disability, which he had from birth.
Zavala’s family has yet to file a lawsuit, but they are seeking a full understanding of the circumstances surrounding his death. The ongoing investigations and legal proceedings have drawn attention to the safety measures in place at Universal Orlando’s new theme park.
