A former cruise ship trumpet player was awarded $1.7 million from a Miami jury after he slipped and fell while on stage on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.   As a former trumpet player, this verdict caught recreational injury, vacation accident and resort tort lawyer Doug Landau’s eye.   The horn player claimed that the fall injured his shoulder and ended his trumpet-playing career.  The accident was caused by a bit of oil that leaked out from the on-stage fog machine, according to the lawsuit.  The Miami Herald reported that nine years after he slipped on stage during rehearsal, cruise ship trumpeter finally won a $1.7 million verdict against Royal Caribbean for the fall.  A Miami-Dade jury awarded the 40-year-old the money for the August 2001 accident, which was blamed on spilled oil from a fog machine.  The musician’s lawsuit claimed the shoulder injury ended a beloved trumpeting career, since he is only able to lift the instrument for about an hour at a time. The Miami Beach resident now works part-time as an usher at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center.  The injured plaintiff’s lawyer indicated Royal Caribbean asked jurors to award the injured music maker, who earned about $22,000 a year as a trumpeter, less than $130,000 for his injuries.  In addition to the many years it took to get get his “day in court” in Florida, plaintiff’s counsel noted that he expects to retain only about 40 percent of the verdict amount.  Royal Caribbean Cruises “feels the amount awarded is not supported by the evidence and are currently evaluating our appellate options,” the cruise line said in a statement.

Because there are strict time limits for claims against cruise lines, resorts, property owners and recreational facilities if you or someone you know has been injured in an premises liability or other accident caused by someone else’s negligence or fault, e-mail or call us at ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. (703-796-9555) at once.