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Sandi Streets filed the negligence lawsuit in state court in
Orlando, days after the death of 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez
Zavala in a separate incident.
Streets said she was invited to Universal's Epic Universe theme
park just a few weeks before it officially opened to the public
in May and went on the dual-launch coaster, which reaches speeds
up to 62 mph (100 kph). On the ride, her head shook violently
and slammed into her seat's headrest, giving her permanent
injuries, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Streets has suffered disability, medical care
expenses, loss of the ability to work and an exacerbation of a
preexisting condition since going on the ride. Her attorney,
Nicholas Spetsas, didn't immediately respond Thursday to an
email seeking further details on her injuries.
The ride failed to properly restrain her head, and the theme
park failed to adequately warn her of “the unsafe and
unreasonably dangerous condition” of the roller coaster, the
lawsuit says.
Universal didn't respond Thursday to an email seeking comment
about the lawsuit.
In Zavala's case, the medical examiner for the Orlando area
ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt impact injuries and
said the manner of death was an accident.
Karen Irwin, Universal Orlando Resort’s president, said in a
note to workers last weekend, after Zavala's death, that
internal findings showed ride systems functioned normally,
equipment was intact and Universal workers followed the proper
procedures. Investigators with the Florida Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services said last Friday that their
initial findings align with that of the theme park.
Lawyers for Zavala's family took issue with that conclusion at a
news conference Wednesday. Zavala had a spinal disability from
birth and used a wheelchair, but they said his disability didn't
cause his death. His family hasn't filed a lawsuit, as of yet,
and said they want to understand how he died.
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