Family of man who died on Universal roller coaster claim ride has injured 'multiple people'

'Multiple people' are said to have been injured on the Universal theme park roller coaster on which a man died earlier this month, lawyers investigating his death have claimed.

Kevin Rodriguez Zavala died from multiple blunt impact injuries after riding the Stardust Racers roller coaster at the Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Florida, on 17 September, and many questions still surround his death.

The 32-year-old is believed to have hit his head on the metal restraint with eyewitnesses saying he was unconscious for most of the ride.

While Universal bosses have claimed the ride functioned as expected during the tragic incident, a number of park guests have since come forward claiming they too were injured on the roller coaster.

Zavala's grief-stricken family have employed the help of civil rights attorney Ben Crump and his team in a bid to get answers about how their beloved family member, a keen roller coaster enthusiast, could have died.

Zavala's mother spoke alongside Crump at a press conference (WKMG)

Earlier this week, Crump announced that his office and Zavala's own family had received several messages from people who say they had suffered injuries after riding the Stardust Racers.

One woman reportedly reached out to the family via a GoFundMe set up to raise funeral costs, telling Zavala's loved ones she experienced spine and neck injuries shortly after the ride opened in May.

Another woman sued Universal last week, claiming she had sustained permanent injuries after riding the roller coaster just before the park officially opened earlier this year.

Sandi Streets, 49, said her head 'shook violently and slammed into her seat’s headrest' for the duration of the two-minute ride, which left her with a severe headache and sore neck, which she initially put down to dehydration and exhaustion.

However, the headaches persisted, prompting her to seek medical attention and take legal action against the park.

The suit was settled on Friday, 26 September, for an undisclosed amount, however, Crump says 'they won't be able to silence everybody'.

The complaints all relate to the Stardust Racers roller coaster (Thomas Simonetti/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, 30 September, he said: "We believe there were warning signs that there was something wrong with the design of this ride, and that they tried to blame the victims," adding that not all the complainants had pre-existing disabilities.

"They didn't want to say, 'Well, maybe we have to go back and critically assess this ride and the design of this ride'."

Noting Streets' complaints that the ride only had a hip restraint and nothing to protect the upper body from being thrown around, Crump said Zavala had a similar experience on the ride that ultimately led to his death.

He said investigations by his team found the 32-year-old had hit his head repeatedly on the metal bar, the first time being on the dip at the start of the ride, which rendered him unconscious.

Zavala was born with a pre-existing spinal injury and used a wheelchair, but his family say it had never impacted his ability to go on roller coasters before.

Zavala was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead (GoFundMe)

Universal Orlando's safety guide says Stardust Racers is 'not for guests with back, neck [injuries] or similar physical conditions'.

The website reads: "You should be able to independently: maintain an upright position, support your torso, neck, and head while absorbing sudden and dramatic movements, and brace your body with at least one natural upper extremity."

However, Crump argued that if disabled people should not be riding the roller coaster, then why did staff assist him in doing so.

"Now you can't justify this by trying to blame the victim," he said.

Universal bosses have claim the ride systems were functioning as intended, however the Stardust Racers remains closed as investigations continue.