A man who died after riding a rollercoaster at one of Orlando’s newest amusement parks died from blunt force injuries, according to an Orange County medical examiner.
Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, died due to “multiple blunt impact injuries,” according to reporting from The Miami Herald. The manner of his death has been ruled as an accident.
The incident happened on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at Epic universe when Zavala was found unresponsive after riding a rollercoaster. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Epic Universe, the park where the incident happened, opened in May and is home to the Stardust Racers ride, a dual-launch rollercoaster described as a star shooting across the cosmos, according to the park’s website. Riders are meant to board a comet and rocket, reaching heights of up to 133 feet zooming over 5,000 feet of track. The “celestial spin” is a moment where passengers will race along an inverted crisscross.
Epic Universe is the newest theme park at Universal Orlando Resort, joining Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay. In a statement, Universal officials said they are “devastated” by Zavala’s passing and send their “sympathies to the guest’s loved ones.”
The ride has been closed as a result of the ongoing investigation.
Leesfield & Partners
With robust marine life and water activities, warm weather, theme parks and an abundance of historic sites, it is no wonder why Florida is the vacation destination for millions of families and individuals year-round. In 49 years of personal injury law, Leesfield & Partners — which operates in cities like Key West, Orlando and Miami — has seen the various ways in which mega-corporations, small businesses and management companies have attempted to evade liability when something goes wrong. From slip and fall premises liability cases to negligent security incidents, our skilled attorneys have been representing clients through devastating injuries and wrongful death cases.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys previously represented the family of an individual who died from health complications caused by a recreational park’s rise. The firm recovered a confidential amount for the family in that case.
The firm’s resort torts practice area has secured numerous record settlements and verdicts on behalf of injured clients and their grieving family members. This practice area involves injuries at locations such as hotels, amusement or theme parks, casinos, rental car accidents, inadequate resort security cases and cruise ship injuries.
Florida is a hotspot for cruise ship activity with PortMiami attracting millions of passengers to the area every year. Our firm’s experience handling cruise ship cases has spanned decades. These cases have involved the negligence of cruise ship doctors, slip and/or trip and fall cases, criminal activity aboard ships and injuries sustained during cruise-sanctioned excursions. One such cruise ship excursion case handled by the firm involves a mother and daughter who booked a parasailing adventure while on their ship.
Once the two were up in the air, however, an equipment failure caused them to fall from hundreds of feet to the water below. Tragically, the mother died, and the daughter sustained a traumatic brain injury. Leesfield & Partners attorneys worked diligently in that case to return a $7.25 million settlement for the families.
Recently, Partner Justin B. Shapiro filed suit in a cruise ship excursion case involving a jet ski crash. Our client signed up for a novice jet ski excursion on her cruise ship, hoping to enjoy a day on the water. Instead, the cruise’s jet ski tour guide crashed into our client from behind and caused multiple spinal fractures and severe bruising.
That case is ongoing.
Previous Tourist Cases
Leesfield & Partners handled the wrongful death case of a husband and wife who were involved in a motor vehicle accident in Florida while visiting from the U.K. The two had come to the area specifically for a motorcycle tour that was happening in the area.
Leesfield & Partners obtained a $1 million partial settlement with the uninsured motorist insurance policy.
A newlywed German couple on their honeymoon were horrifically burned when an uncapped gas pipe in their vacation accommodations caused an explosion. The wife died as a result of her devastating injuries.
A multi-million-dollar award was secured for the husband in that case.
The firm previously represented a husband who lost his wife due to the negligence of a jet ski rental company. Under Florida law, these rental companies must ensure that every guest understands safety briefings given before they are set out on the water. A French-speaking tourist in this case, however, did not understand the tutorial, given in English. Asa result, this tourist eventually crashed into our client’s wife, causing fatal injuries.
A multi-million-dollar result was secured for the husband in that case.
A tourist from Brazil was brutally attacked while at a theme park in Central Florida. Leesfield & Partners obtained a confidential settlement for the victim in that case.
A student from Massachusetts was killed in a horrific car accident while visiting Daytona Beach. The bad faith case – meaning that the insurance company denied the claim without sufficient reasoning, evidence or proper investigation – was resolved with a $1 million award for the grieving family.
Leesfield & Partners represented the family of a man who died while visiting Dry Tortugas National Park with his wife on a boat tour. The man was found dead after officials with the tour company directed him to an area they assured him was “good to snorkel.”
The firm secured a $600,000 recovery for a client who was severely injured in a fall at a Florida amusement park.
Recently, Evan Robinson, a Trial Attorney at the firm, returned a six-figure verdict for a woman who was injured at a popular Florida tourist attraction. In that case, the property’s sidewalk was flanked by a sharp divot with no railing to prevent falls. This hazard was known to property managers who regularly tasked employees to fill the trench with gravel.
When the narrow walkway became too crowded, our client stepped off it and into the trench. As a result, she lost her balance and violently fell to the concrete ground, shattering her hip.