Brothers sue Universal after alleged injuries on Harry Potter ride at Epic Universe

Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel on Feb 24, 2026

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Twin brothers sued Universal Orlando Resort on Friday alleging they suffered back and neck injuries when a Harry Potter ride at its new Epic Universe theme park malfunctioned.

Derrick Burrough of Tennessee and Erick Burrough of Georgia, who are being represented by the Morgan & Morgan law firm, are each seeking over $50,000 in damages from Universal, claiming they suffered injuries resulting in the “loss of ability to lead and enjoy a normal life,” according to separate lawsuits filed by the brothers.

The brothers were visiting Epic Universe with family on Christmas Day last year when they rode on the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride. A malfunction occurred while they were seated, causing the ride vehicle to abruptly stop, the lawsuits said.

The brothers say they were “thrusted erratically” in their seats, sustaining “significant” injuries to their necks and backs, according to the suits and a Tuesday news release from Morgan & Morgan announcing the case.

“The most important job of a theme park is to keep its guests safe. Instead, Universal allegedly operated a ride that had been plagued by repeated malfunctions, glitches and hard stops since it opened,” attorney John Morgan said in the release.

“Our clients continue to seek treatment for their injuries, which are impacting their everyday lives. They have filed these lawsuits to hold Universal accountable for a safety incident we allege was entirely preventable,” he said.

Representatives for Universal did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment.

The release said online content creators and users of the social media platform Reddit have reported similar issues with Battle at the Ministry since it opened last year, including the ride being shut down for maintenance on its opening day and guests being stuck on the ride after abrupt stops for an hour and a half or more.

Universal describes the ride as as a “journey deep into the Ministry’s many departments. Thrilling adventure, fantastic beasts, and unexplored mystery await.” Riders are situated in 16-passenger “magical, omnidirectional lifts” that “propel guests up, down, forward, backward, sideways and more throughout the Ministry.”

The lawsuits allege Universal was negligent in maintaining the ride in a reasonably safe condition by failing to fix “a dangerous condition about which the defendant either knew or should have known.”

The brothers suffered “disability, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish and inconvenience; expense of hospitalization, medical and nursing care and treatment; and past lost wages, loss of earning power and diminished earning capacity,” according to the lawsuits.

The suits are the latest to be filed against Universal for alleged injuries on its theme park rides. There has been an uptick in such suits following the September death of Kissimmee resident Kevin Rodriguez Zavala, who died after riding Epic Universe’s Stardust Racers rollercoaster.

Zavala’s family sued but ultimately reached a settlement with Universal. Days after the settlement was reached, five other people filed separate lawsuits alleging they had suffered injuries on the same ride.

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