The thrill of roller coasters has taken a somber turn as Universal and Mack Rides face litigation with five new lawsuits claiming the Stardust Racers roller coaster at Epic Universe caused injuries to riders. According to WESH, the suits filed by the same attorneys allege that during the ride, the victims experienced violent and repetitive shaking of their heads due to improper restraint, which led to a series of unfortunate injuries.
One individual claimed having suffered a stroke, laying bare the severity of the conditions that the riders were subjected to. Claims range from severe neck pain and paralysis to mental anguish and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life. The timing of these filings is just days after Universal settled on the accidental death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala on the same ride, with details of the agreement kept under wraps, as reported by WFTV.
The recent spate of lawsuits doesn't precisely line up with incident dates previously disclosed by Universal to the state this year. The action has mostly been brought against Universal City Development Partners, LTD and Mack Rides GMBH & Co KG. Despite the burgeoning legal cases, both Universal and Mack Rides have maintained that the roller coaster functioned as it should in Zavala's case—a finding corroborated by the Orange County Sheriff's Office, indicating no signs of negligence on Universal's part.
