Orlando, Fla. (AP) – Several people have contacted their families with related stories A 32-year-old man died of blunt instrument injuries Two weeks ago, a lawyer for the man’s family said Tuesday while riding a roller coaster with the new Stardust Racer at Universal’s epic Universe theme park.
Since Kevin Rodriguez Zavala’s death on September 17th, those who contacted Ben Crump’s law firm include a woman who said she lost consciousness while riding a roller coaster and suffered neck and spinal injuries shortly after the ride opened in May, Crump said at a press conference in Orlando.
The woman reached out to Zavala’s family on the GoFundMe page and talked about her experiences on the roller coaster.
“All we want is the answers about my son’s death,” Zabara’s mother, Anna Zavara, said through an interpreter at a press conference Tuesday. “We want these answers. We can pay tribute to him. We want these answers so we can have peace. Losing my son is very difficult and we don’t want this pain from anyone.”
The dual-launch coaster has reached speeds of up to 62 mph (100 kph) and officially debuted in May when Universal Orlando Resort’s latest theme park was unveiled.
A Universal spokesperson did not immediately respond to Tuesday’s investigation.
Apart from that, Central Florida Woman sued Universal Last week she said she was injured on a roller coaster. Sandy Street said her head was shaking violently and she hit the headrest of her seat while riding in April, before she was permanently injured before the official park opening.
Crump questioned what Universal did after receiving reports from women and others who said they were injured while riding.
“She told them that you guys need to do something about this because someone would get seriously injured or, worse still, they’ll be killed,” Crump said. “She gave them notice and she believed that the employees already knew there was a problem with this roller coaster.
In Zavala’s case, an Orlando area medical inspector ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt impact injuries, and said the way of death was an accident.
Karen Irwin, president of Universal Orlando Resort, told workers in a memo shortly after Zavala’s death, that internal investigations showed normal functions were working properly, equipment was intact and universal workers were following the proper procedures. The Florida Department of Agriculture and consumer services investigators also said Their initial findings agree At that at the theme park.
Crump said his team would seek greater government oversight for large companies like Universal and Disney. Unlike small venues and fairs, Florida’s biggest theme parks are exempt from state safety inspections. Instead, the biggest theme parks, such as Walt Disney World and Universal, have their own testing and have their own protocols, but they need to report injuries and deaths to the state.
Since the epic universe opened in May, three reports have been made on rides at the theme park. In May, a 63-year-old man with an existing condition experienced dizziness and “changes in consciousness,” and a 47-year-old woman with an existing condition felt “visual impairment” and numbness after going on separate days on a Stardust Racer coaster. According to Florida Agricultural Consumer Services, the 32-year-old man experienced chest pain after riding a hiccup wing glider.
“I believe there is something wrong with the design of this vehicle and there are warning signs that they tried to blame the victim,” Crump said.
Zavala’s family said he had it. Spinal cord injury from birth He used a wheelchair, but that didn’t cause his death.
“If they believed that People with disabilities should not take part in this roller coasterwhy do you help him ride a roller coaster? ” said Crump.
Crump asks anyone injured on a roller coaster to contact his office.
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Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social
