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Florida Woman Sues Norwegian Cruise Line After Tripping Over Chair in Dimly Lit Lounge Aboard Norwegian Jade
Ashley Frabotta, a Florida resident, has filed a negligence lawsuit against NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., the operator of the Norwegian Jade, after she allegedly sustained serious knee injuries from tripping over an improperly placed chair in the cruise ship’s Spinnaker Lounge. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on September 3, 2025, under Case No. 1:25-cv-24003-DPG.
Cruise Passenger Trips Over Chair in Poorly Lit and Overcrowded Spinnaker Lounge on Norwegian Jade
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on August 24, 2024, while Frabotta was a fare-paying passenger aboard the Norwegian Jade. She was inside the Spinnaker Lounge on Deck 13, a public area used for live events and entertainment. The space was allegedly overcrowded and dimly lit, limiting visibility and creating hazardous conditions for those attempting to navigate through the room.
Frabotta claims she tripped over a chair that had been left in a walking path—its position obscured by the poor lighting—and fell, sustaining a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee. The complaint alleges that the chair was negligently placed by crew members and that NCL failed to maintain safe walking paths within the lounge.
Lawsuit Alleges Norwegian Jade’s Lounge Layout and Lighting Created Dangerous Conditions
The lawsuit accuses NCL of failing to warn passengers about the hazardous conditions in the Spinnaker Lounge, including the lack of adequate lighting, poor layout, and obstructed walkways. Frabotta’s legal team argues that NCL either knew or should have known about the unsafe conditions through routine inspections, passenger reports, or surveillance footage.
Key allegations include:
- Improper placement of seating in walkways
- Inadequate ambient and floor lighting
- Lack of signage or verbal warnings
- Failure to monitor and regulate crowd density in the lounge
- Failure to inspect for hazards or correct the unsafe layout
The complaint further asserts that these conditions were not open or obvious to passengers using reasonable care, thus triggering a duty to warn and remedy the danger.
Passenger Undergoes ACL Surgery and Continues to Suffer from Long-Term Complications
Following the incident, Frabotta sought treatment at Lakeland Regional Health, where imaging revealed a complete rupture of her ACL and a subchondral bone bruise on her femur. She subsequently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and was prescribed an extended course of physical therapy.
Frabotta also alleges that her left knee began to suffer from overuse and compensation injuries, compounding her mobility issues. Despite adhering to her post-surgical rehabilitation, she continues to experience pain, limited mobility, and disruption to her previously active lifestyle.
She claims her injuries are permanent or continuing and include:
- Physical pain and disability
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Medical expenses, past and future
- Loss of income and earning capacity
Complaint Highlights Failures in Supervision, Maintenance, and Cruise Safety Protocols
The lawsuit includes two primary counts of negligence:
- Negligent Failure to Warn – for failing to alert passengers to the tripping hazard and the poor lighting in a high-traffic lounge area.
- General Negligence – for failing to properly supervise crew, maintain safe public spaces, and enforce onboard safety protocols.
Frabotta’s legal team emphasizes that NCL has a centralized safety department at its Miami headquarters responsible for setting and monitoring policies onboard its ships. The complaint argues that this department failed to prevent or address the dangerous lounge conditions, despite having the authority and responsibility to do so.
Cruise Ship Lounge Trip and Fall Incidents May Qualify for Maritime Injury Claims
Under maritime law, cruise lines like Norwegian Cruise Line have a non-delegable duty to provide passengers with a safe environment aboard their vessels. That duty includes keeping walkways clear, ensuring adequate lighting in common areas, and responding to known or foreseeable hazards—particularly in public gathering spaces such as lounges.
If you’ve been injured aboard a cruise ship due to an unsafe condition like poor lighting, overcrowding, or obstacles in walking paths, you may be entitled to compensation.
Contact us now to speak with an experienced maritime injury attorney about your rights.
Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.