2025 was a massive year for the theme park world as it saw the opening of the first major American theme park in decades, Universal Orlando Resort’s Epic Universe. The park is truly an achievement with some incredible attractions and amazing environments. Unfortunately, it was also the site of a terrible theme park tragedy.
In September, Kevin Rodriguez Zavala rode Stardust Racers, seen as one of the top attractions at Epic Universe and without question its most intense experience. Zavala was found unresponsive following the ride and was later pronounced dead. There’s a way that these sorts of stories almost always go, but this one has taken a somewhat unusual path, as it appears the issue is now closed for both the resort and the family.
The Family Of the Deceased And Universal Orlando Have Reached An “Amicable Resolution”
Whenever there’s any sort of incident on the grounds of a theme park, it’s essentially a given that a lawsuit will be involved. We’ve seen numerous injuries lead to lawsuits, and there are deaths on theme park property as well. These cases rarely reach trials, let alone verdicts, so they are nearly always settled before things get that far. But the lawsuit being filed is always part of the process.
That doesn’t appear to have been the case here. While the family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala did obtain legal counsel, there’s no indication a lawsuit has yet been filed. And yet, that attorney Ben Crump has now released a statement (via Theme Park Insider) that the two sides have reached some sort of agreement that will keep this from ever touching a court. The statement reads…
The family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and Universal has reached an amicable resolution in this matter. The terms are confidential. The family is grateful for the community’s support and asks for privacy at this time.
While the possibility of a legal battle was certainly always a concern, there had never been much discussion in the press of such a thing happening. It appears all conversations happened quietly behind close doors.
Stardust Racers Was Found To Be Functioning Properly
There are still a lot of questions surrounding just what happened to Zavala. Those questions may never be answered, considering the settlement between the two is confidential. We know that the victim suffered significant physical trauma while on Stardust Racers.
We also know that the Epic Universe ride did not malfunction in any way. The ride was found to be in working order, and Universal Team Members were found to be following all the rules when it came to loading the ride. Ultimately, after a review, Stardust Racers began to run again, and there have been no further incidents.
