The family of a Kissimmee man who was fatally injured in September while riding the Stardust Racers coaster at Epic Universe has reached an “amicable resolution” with Universal Orlando Resort, their attorney announced Saturday.
A news release from Ben Crump, a civil rights and personal injury attorney, said terms of the agreement between the family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, 32, and Universal, which opened Epic in May, are confidential. The one-paragraph statement did not say if Universal would pay Zavala’s family or, if so, how much.
“The family is grateful for the community’s support and asks for privacy at this time,” Crump’s statement said.
Zavala had a spinal condition since birth and used a wheelchair, his family said. On Sept. 17, while riding Stardust Racers — a fast-paced rollercoaster that reaches speeds of 62 mph and rises up to 133 feet — Zavala was flung forward, his head slamming into the seat in front of him repeatedly, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which ruled his death an accident.
When the ride ended, Zavala was unconscious, covered with blood and one of his legs was broken, the sheriff’s office report released Thursday said. He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Crump and his legal team, tapped by the family soon after Zavala’s death, initially raised questions about the safety of Stardust Racers, which uses only lap belts to hold riders in place. “We believe there is something wrong with the design of this ride,” he said on Sept. 30.
The company’s internal review found that ride systems “functioned as intended,” equipment remained intact, and park employees correctly followed procedures, according to a memo Universal Orlando Resort President Karen Irwin sent to staff in the wake of Zavala’s death.
The ride was shut down for a time after Zavala’s death. As part of reopening Stardust Racers at Epic Universe on Oct. 4, Universal updated its procedures and signs to reinforce existing warnings for “physical eligibility requirements” of riders. Guests using mobility devices, such as wheelchairs, must be able to walk independently. However, the park will continue to use “transfer devices” to assist visitors into the ride.
Some of the first Stardust Racer trains full of paying customers on Oct. 4, 2025, move from the roller coaster’s loading station into the first launching maneuver. It was the first day of operation for the public since the Sept. 17 death of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, a visitor at the theme park. (Dewayne Bevil/Orlando Sentinel)
The sheriff’s office report did not explain what led to the accident, although his girlfriend said she feared the lap belt was too low on his body. Universal did not respond to a request for comment on the sheriff’s office’s findings.
Zavala was a theme park and roller coaster enthusiast, his family said. He and he and his girlfriend had ridden on two other Epic coasters that day before his fatal trip on Stardust Racers, the sheriff’s office noted, and video showed he seemed “engaged and well” when the ride launched.