Disney Cruise Line is being sued by two passengers from New York. They allege that the defendant was negligent, which resulted in one plaintiff suffering cruise line injuries.
Matthew Sames of Saratoga County, New York, has filed the lawsuit on behalf of his daughter, identified in court documents as H.S., on October 31st in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida Orlando Division.
The complaint states that both plaintiffs were present on the cruise ship Dream, operated by Disney Cruise Line. On November 3rd, 2015, the defendant’s daughter, who uses a motorized wheelchair to get around, suffered an injury aboard the ship. According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that while moving on the marble flooring of the ship, H.S. “went flying” all of a sudden after falling over an unmarked step-down. Court documents state that the flooring pattern was deceptive, causing the child not to see the marble step-down that was in her way.
The negligence claim is based on allegations made by the plaintiffs that Disney Cruise Line failed to ensure that its premises were safe for all passengers aboard the cruise ship, didn’t design common areas in a way that would make them accessible to passengers with disabilities and hasn’t informed guests with special needs about the presence of areas that were unsafe for them.
Serious personal injuries are claimed by the plaintiffs. Documents filed with the court state that as a result of the accident, H.S. suffered a fracture, head injury and contusion to the right eye. The plaintiffs are seeking a minimum of $75,000 in damages and any other relief that the court determines is just.
This is not the first time that Disney Cruise Line has been sued by passengers injured while on their ships. One such lawsuit was filed in August 2016 by a mother who alleges that her child was injured after a raised portion of a stair caused her to fall. Another lawsuit was filed in March 2016 by a Colombian passenger whose thumb was amputated after a cabin door slammed shut on his hand, causing his thumb to be severed. The complaint states that even though the thumb was put on ice and the wound bandaged by a nurse working aboard the ship, the man had to wait until the ship arrived in Puerto Rico several days later before having the chance to see a doctor. By then, it was too late to reattach his thumb.