Not so “Ship Shape” – Slip and Fall on Cruise Ship verdict
Slip and fall and trip and fall cases are not limited to injuries on dry land according to Alexandria, Fairfax and Leesburg injury lawyer Doug Landau. In a recent case out of South Florida, the injured plaintiff was on a cruise ship at the time of the fall. The plaintiff fitness instructor alleged he was injured when he slipped and fell on a wet floor at a cruise ship spa
According to the premises liability lawsuit, the 42-year-old fitness instructor who worked for Miami-based Steiner Transocean, sustained a back injury and became incontinent and impotent as a result of the fall in 2006. The case was tried in Miami-Dade Circuit Court. Plaintiff’s counsel told the newspaper that the verdict included damages for economic losses, medical expenses and past and future pain and suffering. The South Florida jury awarded $9.5 million. The defendant Steiner Transocean, which operated the spa on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Crown, filed papers seeking a new trial or a reduction of the jury award. Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line previously settled out of court. There are special rules and time deadlines for bringing claims on cruise ships and for injuries that occur on “the high seas.” If you or someone you know has been injured on a cruise ship or other ocean going vessel, please seek legal counsel at once.