California Woman Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Automatic Glass Doors Close on Her on Lido Deck of Carnival Firenze
Norma Eissa, a California resident, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the Southern District of Florida. The complaint, filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-25077-KMW, alleges that Eissa sustained a serious hip injury when she was struck and trapped by malfunctioning automatic sliding glass doors near the Lido Deck buffet on the Carnival Firenze during her November 2024 cruise.
Carnival Passenger Alleges Sliding Doors on Lido Deck of Carnival Firenze Malfunctioned and Caused Hip Fracture
According to the lawsuit, on November 7, 2024, Eissa was walking through automatic glass doors near the Lido Deck buffet when the doors abruptly slid closed, catching her mid-pass and causing her to fall. The complaint alleges that the doors failed to stop after a single open-and-close cycle and instead closed forcefully while she was still in the doorway.
Eissa claims the doors were not functioning properly and that Carnival knew of prior malfunctions involving similar doors throughout its fleet. As a result of the incident, she suffered a hip fracture, as well as other injuries to her body and extremities, leading to physical pain, disability, mental anguish, and the need for ongoing medical care.
Lawsuit Alleges Carnival Knew of Ongoing Issues with Automatic Doors Across Multiple Ships, Including Liberty, Valor, and Freedom
Eissa’s legal team asserts that Carnival had actual and constructive notice of the malfunction risk. The complaint includes references to internal Carnival safety meetings that discussed repeated automatic sliding door failures aboard multiple ships, including the Carnival Glory, Liberty, Freedom, and Valor, dating back to 2016.
According to the lawsuit, these meetings were attended by high-level safety personnel—including Carnival’s Occupational Safety Director and Manager of Occupational Safety Programs—and resulted in a fleetwide safety notice and email instructions for enhanced maintenance and testing of sliding glass doors.
Despite this, Eissa alleges Carnival failed to apply these safety precautions effectively aboard the Firenze, which allegedly experienced similar door issues. The plaintiff contends that the cruise line ignored known risks, failed to replace or repair malfunctioning doors, and did not block passenger access or post warnings near the dangerous Lido Deck entrance.
Complaint Accuses Carnival of Negligent Maintenance and Failure to Warn About Faulty Sliding Door System
Eissa’s complaint includes two negligence counts: negligent maintenance and negligent failure to warn. She claims that Carnival breached its duty of care to provide safe conditions aboard its ship by:
- Failing to perform adequate inspections and maintenance on the doors
- Allowing passengers to use malfunctioning doors without signage or redirection
- Not providing oral, written, or visible warnings about the potential hazard
- Failing to properly calibrate or repair the automatic door systems
The lawsuit argues that, given Carnival’s knowledge of similar past door-related injuries and the company’s control over onboard maintenance, the cruise line should have acted to prevent this incident.
Passenger Seeks Compensation for Medical Expenses, Pain, and Cruise Disruption Following Door-Related Injury on Firenze
As a result of the door closing incident, Eissa alleges she suffered a fractured hip and other injuries that are permanent or continuing in nature. She seeks compensation for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, physical impairment, and disruption of her cruise experience.
Eissa also contends that the cost of her travel, cruise, and related amenities were effectively wasted due to the injuries she sustained early in her trip. She has demanded a jury trial and seeks damages exceeding $75,000.
Injured by a Malfunctioning Door or Hazardous Condition on a Cruise Ship? Know Your Rights Under Maritime Law
Cruise lines like Carnival have a duty to ensure that automatic doors, elevators, and other mechanical systems onboard are regularly inspected and maintained to prevent injury. When passengers are hurt due to mechanical failures or known hazards, they may have grounds to pursue a maritime personal injury claim.
If you or someone you know has been injured by an automatic door or other onboard equipment, our legal team is here to help.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship injury attorney about your potential claim.
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.
