A young boy allegedly lost consciousness while riding a rollercoaster at Universal Orlando and suffered serious injuries as his limp body was thrown around during the ride.
The allegations were detailed in a lawsuit filed by Georgia mother Jennifer Lundy in Orange County Circuit Court on August 17. The case was transferred to federal court last month.
According to the lawsuit, Lundy’s nine-year-old son, identified as L.L., sustained “severe and permanent bodily injuries” to his face, head, neck and spine after the intense G-forces on Universal’s Stardust Racers rollercoaster allegedly caused him to pass out.
The complaint claims the boy was disfigured and suffered neurological damage because the ride’s lap-bar restraint system does not provide support or protection for a rider’s head or upper body.
L.L. rode Stardust Racers on October 13, 2025, during a family visit to Universal Epic Universe, the lawsuit says. The coaster requires riders to be at least 48 inches tall but does not set a minimum age, according to the filing.
The boy was eight years old at the time and met the attraction’s listed requirements. His mother, the lawsuit alleges, reasonably expected Universal’s theme park rides to be safe.
However, after L.L. allegedly became unconscious on the coaster—which reaches speeds of up to 62 mph—his “head and face were thrown against the hard surfaces of the ride,” according to the complaint.
A photograph captured by the Stardust Racers on-ride camera, showing the boy slumped over and apparently unconscious in his seat, was included in the court filing.
A nine-year-old boy allegedly suffered severe injuries after losing consciousness on Universal Orlando’s Stardust Racers rollercoaster. His mother included this on-ride photograph in the lawsuit
The lawsuit claims Stardust Racers’ lap-bar restraint system does not support or protect a rider’s head or upper body. Riders are pictured on the rollercoaster
Jennifer Lundy’s lawsuit says she reasonably expected Universal’s attractions to be safe. Riders are pictured on Stardust Racers
Universal Orlando and MACK Rides, the manufacturer of Stardust Racers, were named as defendants and accused of negligence. The lawsuit seeks at least $50,000 in damages.
The complaint describes Stardust Racers as demonstrably dangerous, alleging that riders had previously been injured and that one person died after riding the attraction.
It specifically cites the case of 32-year-old Kevin Zavala, who allegedly lost consciousness while on Stardust Racers on September 17, 2025. He was pronounced dead shortly afterward from blunt force injuries.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said at the time that Zavala was covered in blood when he was removed from the ride and had suffered a broken leg.
Zavala had a spinal condition from birth and used a wheelchair. His death was ruled an accident, and his family later reached an “amicable settlement” with Universal after filing a lawsuit, according to their attorney, Ben Crump.
Lundy’s lawsuit alleges that Universal closed Stardust Racers for roughly two weeks following Zavala’s death but did not make changes to the ride intended to improve safety.
The coaster reopened on October 4, about a week before L.L. rode it. Universal had changed its signage and operating procedures but made no other modifications, the lawsuit claims.
The complaint also alleges that Universal had received multiple rider complaints before L.L.’s visit, including reports of “injury, loss of consciousness, dizziness, disorientation, and nausea.”
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The lawsuit referenced the case of 32-year-old Kevin Zavala (pictured), who died from blunt force injuries after allegedly losing consciousness on Stardust Racers
Zavala had a spinal condition and used a wheelchair. His family reached an ‘amicable settlement’ with Universal after they sued, according to their lawyer
Lundy’s attorney, Nicholas Spetsas, also told Our News Outlet: ‘This is one of many lawsuits our firm has filed over Stardust Racers alone.’
Universal denied the allegations laid out by the lawsuit and demanded a trial by jury in an answer and affirmative defense filed in court on September 18.
It claimed that L.L.’s parents ‘were negligent in failing to use reasonable care for [his] safety,’ and said that if the parents are found to be more than 50 percent responsible for the boy’s injury, the company would have no obligation to pay damages.
The answer also said that Lundy ‘voluntarily assumed the risks associated with L.L. riding a thrill ride… and such assumption of risk bars or reduces Plaintiff’s recovery.’
Universal further alleged that L.L. had pre-existing medical conditions that caused the injuries he suffered on the rollercoaster.
Spetsas scoffed at Universal’s defense in a statement to Our News Outlet that said: ‘Universal has chosen to respond to this lawsuit by blaming a mother and an eight-year-old. We think the public can judge that for itself.
‘Ms. Lundy followed every rule Universal set. Her son met the posted height requirement, boarded as directed, and was secured by Universal’s own staff.
‘Stardust Racers has no minimum age, no medical screening, and no warning that a rider, much less a child, can be rendered unconscious.
Universal denied allegations of negligence in a legal answer filed in court and claimed the injured nine-year-old’s parents were actually at fault. Stardust Racers is pictured at night
Lundy’s lawyer said: ‘Universal has chosen to respond to this lawsuit by blaming a mother and an eight-year-old.’ The entrance to Universal Epic Universe is pictured
‘A parent cannot be faulted for failing to guard against a danger the park itself never disclosed and fails to acknowledge to this day.’
Regarding Universal’s claim that L.L. had pre-existing medical conditions, Spetsas said: ‘Universal does not ask riders about their medical history before they board, and it certainly does not ask eight-year-olds.
‘If a ride is only safe for certain riders, that is information the park has an obligation to provide before the restraint closes, not a defense to raise after a child is hurt. Whatever Universal thinks it knows about this boy’s medical history, it is completely unfounded.
‘Regardless, you take your victim as you find him. That has been the law for a century, and it exists precisely so that a company cannot hurt a child and then blame the child’s body for breaking.’
He added: ‘The Lundy family looks forward to presenting the evidence to a jury.’
Our News Outlet has reached out to Universal Orlando and MACK Rides for comment.
