Lawsuit Over Carnival Crusie Ship Injury Results in $3M Verdict

A personal injury lawsuit filed by a Carnival cruise ship passenger who suffered a fractured knee cap from a slip and fall accident on the pool deck, has resulted in an award of nearly $3 million in damages.

The Carnival cruise injury lawsuit was filed by Denise Kaba in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, as a result of injuries that cocurred on the Carnival Pride cruise ship on August 22, 2009.

According to allegations raised in the complaint, Kaba suffered a slip and fall injury as a result of the use of a resin surface on the pool deck, which made the surface hard and slippery as ice. Plaintiff alleged that Carnival was aware of numerous prior injuries associated with falls on the flooring surface on the Carnival Pride and other Carnival cruise ships.

As a result of her slip and fall on the cruise, Kaba suffered a fractured patella the resulted in the need for at least six surgeries. She also claimed that she will need one or two total knee replacements in the future.

Following trial earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungara awarded $2,998,155.70 in damages, including more than $220,000 in past medical expenses, nearly $375,000 in future medical expenses, just over $170,000 in loss of earning capacity, $200,000 for pain and suffering in the past and nearly $2 million for future non-economic damages.