A Georgia woman is suing Universal Orlando, claiming her 9-year-old son was permanently injured while riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster last year.
She says he sustained his injuries on Oct. 13, 2025 — just about one month after a man died after riding the coaster.
Jennifer Lundy argues Universal failed to improve safety measures on the ride. She cites Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, a Kissimmee resident who was fatally injured on Stardust Racers in September 2025.
Lundy filed the lawsuit against Universal Orlando for negligence on Aug. 17 in Orange County before it was pushed to federal court the following month. She lists Mack Rides, the ride’s manufacturer, as a co-defendant.
Lundy claims her son lost consciousness due to the force of the ride. She says while he was unconscious and his head not secured in the ride vehicle, his skull and face were thrown against the hard surfaces of the ride.
The boy is pictured slumped over with his head down in the on-ride photo.
Lundy says he sustained blunt-impact injuries to his head and face, in addition to orthopedic and spinal injuries. He was in pain and needed medical evaluation immediately after riding Stardust Racers. As a result, Lundy says, he has “severe and permanent bodily injuries.”
She argues Universal and the ride manufacturer knew or should have known it was “unsafe and unreasonably dangerous.” The ride has a lap bar, which Lundy argues is not enough to support a rider’s head and neck if they lose consciousness.
Universal argues Lundy was negligent in reasonably caring for her son’s safety.
Stardust Racers is a dual-launch coaster that reaches speeds up to 62 mph and heights up to 133 feet. It totals 5,000 feet of track inside Epic Universe’s Celestial Park in Orlando. The ride opened in May 2025 and features several inversions, including a “Celestial Spin” in which the ride vehicles cross each other.
The height requirement is 48 inches.
Just about a month before Lundy says her son was injured, 32-year-old Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died after riding the coaster on Sept. 17, 2025. Zavala rode the ride with his girlfriend, Javiliz Cruz-Robles, who recounted screaming for help as Zavala was unconscious during the ride. According to the 2025 report, the ride’s first descent caused Zavala to come out of his seat and hit his head on the metal bar in front of them repeatedly as the ride continued.
The boy is pictured slumped over with his head down in the on-ride photo.
The report details a bloody and “distorted” scene as the ride came to an end and Zavala was found unresponsive.
Prior to riding the coaster, Zavala used a wheelchair and did not have use of his legs.
Cruz-Robles said it took a ride attendant multiple attempts to secure Zavala’s lap restraint. The lap bar at first did not meet the minimum amount of restraint required, but the attendant asked Zavala if they could push it down to secure it further.
The report states he seemed to be secured before takeoff.
The ride closed shortly after the incident in September, 2205. It opened again the following month, and the park released an updated Guide for Safety and Accessibility. It states that Stardust Racers riders who use mobility devices must be able to walk independently.
