Appellate Court Revives Norwegian Cruise Slip-and-Fall Case

 The Eleventh Circuit has revived a slip-and-fall case against Norwegian Cruise Line finding that a federal court judge improperly excluded evidence aimed at quantifying the slickness of a ship deck where a woman fell and broke her wrist. According to Law360, the appellate court vacated a summary judgment (dismissal) order in the company’s favor saying that the jury should be allowed to hear expert testimony suggesting that the deck where this slip-and-fall accident occurred has slip resistance that was below industry standards.

Issue of Standards
The appellate court determined that the district court essentially tossed the expert’s standard and instead applied separate standards for passengers and crew members. The same deck, made of teakwood, cannot possibly be designed to meet two different standards, one for passengers and one for crew members at the same time, the three-member panel determined.
A passenger aboard the cruise ship alleged in her slip-and-fall lawsuit that she fell on the Norwegian Sky’s pool deck after a rain storm in April 2012. She sued the cruise ship company for negligence in 2013. As a result of this appellate court decision, the plaintiffs will once again have their day in court.
Injuries and Compensation
Cruise companies have a responsibility and legal obligation to ensure the safety of their passengers. For example, cruise operators have a responsibility to inform passengers about slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall hazards on the deck or anywhere on the ship during the cruise. Some of the common injuries that may be sustained in cruise ship slip-and-fall accidents include head injuries, back and neck injuries, broken bones, internal injuries and joint injuries.
In cases where negligence is involved, cruise companies can be held liable for the injuries, damages and losses caused. Injured victims can seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a slip-and-fall accident or a trip-and-fall accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $1,700,000 for a woman who slipped and fell and received no hospital or medical treatment for one month after the accident.
Please call our offices TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496) to discuss your slip-and-fall case or trip-and-fall injury or accident case. WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: Law360