California Woman Sues Carnival After Tripping Over Bathroom Threshold Aboard Panorama Cruise Ship
Robin Curlin, a California resident, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The complaint, filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-25397, alleges that Curlin suffered serious injuries after tripping over an elevated threshold in her cabin bathroom aboard the Carnival Panorama on November 20, 2024.
Cruise Passenger Allegedly Tripped Over Dangerous Threshold While Entering Bathroom Aboard Carnival Panorama
According to the lawsuit, Curlin was a fare-paying passenger aboard the Carnival Panorama—a Vista-class vessel—when she tripped while walking from her cabin into the bathroom. The incident occurred due to a sudden and unmarked change in elevation between the cabin floor and the bathroom threshold. The lawsuit alleges that the threshold was not only unreasonably high but also difficult to distinguish from the surrounding floor due to poor lighting, narrow cabin dimensions, and lack of contrasting colors.
Curlin claims that Carnival failed to warn her of the tripping hazard or take steps to remedy the dangerous condition. She suffered a fractured right fibula, torn ligaments in her ankle, and permanent loss of mobility. The threshold, she alleges, was defective by design and posed a serious risk to passengers, especially in small cabins where movement is restricted.
Carnival Accused of Failing to Warn Passengers About Tripping Hazard in Cabin Threshold
The complaint alleges that the threshold was not only improperly designed but also unmarked, making it invisible to passengers unfamiliar with the cabin layout. Curlin asserts that no signage, warnings, or safety markings were in place to indicate the change in elevation. Furthermore, Carnival crew members were reportedly present in the cabin area before the incident and failed to warn Curlin or block off the hazard.
The lawsuit states that the dangerous condition was neither open nor obvious, especially under cruise ship conditions that involve movement and tight quarters. It also claims that Carnival failed to comply with relevant safety standards, such as those from the American Society for Testing and Materials, and its own internal inspection and maintenance policies.
Cruise Line Knew or Should Have Known About Hazardous Bathroom Threshold on Vista-Class Ships
Curlin’s legal team argues that Carnival had both actual and constructive knowledge of the hazard. The Panorama is part of Carnival’s Vista-class ships, which share similar cabin designs, including the elevated bathroom threshold. Because of this design uniformity, the lawsuit claims that Carnival should have been aware of the tripping hazard, especially given that it had the ability to inspect, approve, or reject the ship’s construction elements before taking possession of the vessel.
Furthermore, the complaint references Carnival’s role in designing and selecting materials used during the ship’s construction and refurbishments. Curlin alleges that Carnival either negligently designed the threshold or approved its installation despite knowing it did not meet industry safety standards for flooring transitions.
Lawsuit Alleges Negligent Design, Installation, and Failure to Maintain Safe Cabin Conditions
The lawsuit brings five counts against Carnival: negligent failure to remedy, negligent failure to warn, negligent design and installation, vicarious liability for negligent construction, and general negligence for the acts of Carnival’s staff. In particular, the complaint emphasizes that Carnival maintained full control over its New Build and Refurbishment departments, which were allegedly responsible for the design, selection, and ongoing maintenance of cabin fixtures such as the threshold.
Curlin asserts that Carnival’s employees custom-designed or approved the dangerous threshold and continued to install similar thresholds across its fleet. She further alleges that Carnival had the opportunity to reject or modify the design but failed to do so, even after years of operation and passenger use.
Plaintiff Seeks Compensation for Permanent Injuries, Pain and Suffering, and Lost Value of Cruise
As a result of the incident, Curlin seeks damages for permanent physical injuries, pain and suffering, emotional distress, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, medical treatment, and the loss of value of her vacation. Her injuries have allegedly led to a permanent loss of mobility, strength, and independence.
The lawsuit emphasizes that the cruise line breached its duty to provide passengers with a reasonably safe environment and failed to inspect, maintain, or design its cabins in a way that mitigates foreseeable risks to its guests.
Injured on a Cruise Ship Due to Unsafe Cabin Design or Threshold Hazards? Know Your Rights
Cruise ship passengers who suffer injuries due to unsafe conditions within their cabins—including elevated thresholds, slippery floors, or poorly lit transitions—may be entitled to compensation under maritime law. Cruise lines such as Carnival have a legal obligation to ensure their ships are reasonably safe for passengers. If you were injured in a similar cabin tripping accident, contact a qualified maritime injury attorney to explore your legal options.
Reach out to a cruise ship injury lawyer today to discuss your case and protect 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.
