Alabama Woman Sues NCL After Tripping Over Hidden Step in Unlit Stateroom Bathroom on Norwegian Bliss
Kathy Cluts, a resident of Alabama, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against NCL (Bahamas) Ltd. in the Southern District of Florida. The case, filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-24464-CMA, alleges that Cluts was seriously injured when she tripped over an elevated threshold in her stateroom bathroom aboard the Norwegian Bliss—a hazard allegedly obscured due to complete lighting failure inside the cabin.
Cruise Passenger Injured on First Day Aboard Norwegian Bliss Due to Poorly Lit Stateroom and Unmarked Bathroom Step
According to the complaint, Cluts boarded the Norwegian Bliss on October 5, 2024. After settling into her assigned stateroom (Cabin 11112), she attempted to use the restroom for the first time. The lights in her cabin were allegedly non-functional, leaving the area in complete darkness. While trying to enter the bathroom, she tripped over a raised threshold that was several inches high and completely unmarked. The lack of lighting made the step impossible to detect, causing Cluts to fall and suffer severe bodily injuries.
Cluts claims the step was located in an unexpected position and lacked any visual cues or safety markings that would have alerted her to the elevation change. The condition, she asserts, was not open or obvious and was exacerbated by the complete lack of functioning lights.
NCL Accused of Failing to Maintain Safe Cabin Conditions and Ignoring Known Risks of Stateroom Threshold Hazards
The lawsuit alleges that NCL had actual and constructive notice of the dangerous condition. Cluts’s legal team argues that crewmembers and stateroom attendants should have been aware of the malfunctioning lighting prior to occupancy through routine cleaning or maintenance inspections. Despite this, the cabin was allegedly turned over to Cluts without repairs or any warning.
The elevated bathroom threshold is described as a permanent fixture that NCL either designed, approved, or maintained, making its hazards foreseeable—especially in the absence of lighting. According to the complaint, NCL failed to correct the lighting issue or warn passengers of the raised threshold, creating a dangerous tripping hazard.
Complaint References Prior Lawsuits Involving Nearly Identical Bathroom Threshold Falls on NCL Vessels
Cluts’s attorneys cite multiple prior slip and trip lawsuits involving raised stateroom bathroom thresholds aboard NCL ships, particularly the Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Breakaway. These include:
- Clark v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Case No. 25-cv-20244-KMM
- Perez v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Case No. 24-cv-21501-RAR
- Stevanovski v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Case No. 23-cv-24669-PCH
- Bendavid v. NCL (Bahamas) Ltd., Case No. 24-cv-21917-RKA
Each of these cases involved passengers allegedly injured while tripping over similar elevated thresholds at the entrances to stateroom bathrooms, many under low-visibility conditions. Cluts’s complaint argues that these repeated incidents put NCL on notice of a design hazard that should have been addressed through redesign, lighting improvements, or proper warnings.
Lawsuit Alleges Multiple Counts of Negligence in Design, Maintenance, and Failure to Warn of Stateroom Trip Hazard
The lawsuit brings four counts of negligence against NCL:
- Negligent Failure to Warn – For failing to alert passengers to the threshold hazard and defective lighting.
- Negligent Maintenance – For failing to inspect and repair the lighting and ensure the cabin was safe before guest occupancy.
- Negligent Design – For installing or approving an unreasonably high, unmarked threshold in a location where one would not expect a step.
- General Negligence – For broader failures to maintain safe walkways, enforce inspection protocols, and address recurring hazards across the fleet.
Cluts claims that the combination of poor lighting and the elevated, unmarked threshold constituted a dangerous condition that NCL knew or should have known about—and failed to remedy.
Plaintiff Seeks Damages for Long-Term Injuries, Medical Expenses, and Lost Value of Cruise Due to NCL’s Negligence
As a result of the fall, Cluts alleges she suffered physical pain, loss of mobility, permanent injuries, and medical expenses. The complaint also seeks damages for loss of enjoyment of the cruise, impaired earning capacity, and related travel costs.
The lawsuit emphasizes that NCL, through its Safety Management System (SMS) and compliance with international maritime safety regulations (including SOLAS), had a non-delegable duty to provide passengers with reasonably safe accommodations.
Hurt in Your Cruise Cabin? Contact a Stateroom Trip and Fall Injury Lawyer Today
Trip-and-fall injuries caused by hidden thresholds, poor lighting, or unsafe stateroom designs are not uncommon aboard cruise ships. If you’ve been injured in a similar incident, you may be entitled to compensation under maritime law.
Contact our legal team to speak with an experienced cruise injury attorney. We can help you understand your rights and explore your legal options.
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.
