Patricia Storch, a resident of Maryland, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the Southern District of Florida. Filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-23641-DSL, the complaint alleges that Storch sustained serious injuries, including a fractured hip requiring multiple surgeries, after slipping on a wet and dangerously slick floor on Deck 9—also known as the Lido Deck—aboard the Carnival Pride on May 23, 2024.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. while Storch was walking on the Lido Deck. She allegedly slipped on a film of water that was not visible due to the floor’s hard, smooth tile surface. The lawsuit claims the floor was unreasonably slippery when wet, and Carnival failed to provide adequate warnings or take reasonable steps to keep the area dry.
The complaint states that Carnival crew placed towels on the floor where she fell after the incident, indicating their awareness of the wet condition. Storch alleges the hazard was not open or obvious and that she had no opportunity to avoid it.
The lawsuit asserts that Carnival was aware the Lido Deck frequently becomes wet due to its exposure to weather, passenger traffic, and water-related amenities such as pools, hot tubs, and drink stations. Carnival allegedly requires crew to inspect and dry the area regularly, but failed to do so at the time of Storch’s fall.
Furthermore, the complaint claims Carnival had prior notice of the danger, citing internal safety policies and dozens of prior slip and fall incidents on wet Lido deck surfaces, including more than 25 documented incidents aboard the Carnival Pride alone. In one example cited in the complaint, a passenger named Alysia Denize reportedly sustained similar injuries in January 2022 on the same deck under similar conditions.
The complaint alleges that a Carnival crewmember was seated approximately 10 feet from the site of the fall with a clear view of the area, yet no action was taken to address or warn of the slick floor. Although Carnival placed a wet floor sign 15 to 25 feet from the fall location, the lawsuit asserts it was too far to effectively warn Storch and that no signage was placed directly where the hazard existed.
Carnival’s “own the spill” and “two-minute trainer” policies are referenced in the complaint as evidence that crew members are expected to maintain clean and dry surfaces and to post warning signs when wet conditions arise. Storch argues that these policies demonstrate Carnival’s awareness of the risk and its duty to actively manage it.
Storch also alleges that the floor surface itself was inherently unsafe. The lawsuit claims that the flooring material lacked sufficient slip resistance, and that Carnival failed to use safer alternatives, retrofit the surface, or test its coefficient of friction. As a result, the flooring was not reasonably safe for passengers in wet conditions.
International maritime safety standards and the SOLAS treaty are also cited, including regulations requiring safe, unobstructed, and dry escape routes aboard passenger vessels. The complaint argues that Carnival violated these standards by maintaining the Lido Deck in an unreasonably slippery condition.
Storch alleges that the fall resulted in a fractured hip requiring two surgeries to date, with a total hip replacement scheduled in the near future. She seeks damages for physical pain, disfigurement, disability, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of the benefit of her cruise and travel expenses. Her injuries are described as permanent and continuing.
The lawsuit brings three counts against Carnival: negligent failure to warn, negligent failure to maintain, and general negligence. Storch has requested a jury trial.
Cruise lines are required to keep passenger walking areas—including Lido decks—reasonably safe, especially when wet surfaces are common and known hazards exist. If you were injured after slipping on a wet floor aboard a Carnival ship or another cruise line, you may be entitled to compensation under maritime law.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship slip and fall lawyer today.
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.