Twin brothers have filed lawsuits against Universal Orlando Resort, claiming they were injured on a Harry Potter ride at Epic Universe. Erick and Derrick Burroughs, both 45, from Georgia, allege the Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride malfunctioned while they were riding on Christmas Day last year.
According to the identical lawsuits, the motion simulation ride stopped abruptly, causing the brothers to be 'thrusted erratically' in their seats. This resulted in 'significant injuries', the court documents state.
The Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry attraction opened in May 2025 as the centrepiece of the new Wizarding World - Ministry of Magic area. On its opening day, guests reportedly waited up to five hours to experience the ride.
The lawsuits claim Universal Orlando had a duty to maintain the ride in a reasonably safe condition and to warn guests of any dangerous conditions, which the resort allegedly failed to do negligently. The Burroughs are seeking more than $50,000 each in damages for physical injuries, mental anguish, lost wages, medical bills and other suffering.
Morgan & Morgan, the law firm representing the twins, stated: '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.' The firm added that the brothers continue to seek treatment for injuries affecting their daily lives and have filed the lawsuits to hold Universal accountable for what they allege was a preventable safety incident.
This is not the first legal action against Universal Orlando over a Harry Potter ride. In May 2025, Florida resident Casey Causey sued for $50,000, claiming he was injured in July 2023 when the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride malfunctioned, leaving him stranded midair for over an hour.
