Canadian Nurse Sues Holland America and Princess Cruise Lines After Hand Crushed by Defective Fire Door on the Zaandam
Meghan Yaremicki, a citizen and resident of Canada, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Holland America Line Limited and Princess Cruise Lines in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-20035-DPG, alleges that the plaintiff suffered severe and permanent hand injuries while serving as a ship’s nurse aboard the vessel Zaandam. The complaint details a harrowing incident involving a malfunctioning hydraulic fire door that allegedly trapped and crushed the nurse’s hand during a crew gathering.
Ship Nurse Sustains Permanent Hand Injury Aboard Zaandam Due to Malfunctioning Hydraulic Fire Door
The incident occurred during the late hours of January 9, 2023, and the early morning of January 10, 2023, while the Zaandam was in navigable waters. According to the complaint, Holland America sponsored a crew gathering at the Crow’s Nest, a passenger bar located on Deck 9. While glass swinging doors are typically used for this entryway, the cruise line allegedly elected to use heavy, hydraulic sliding fire doors instead. Upon returning from a smoking area, Nurse Yaremicki attempted to open the closed fire door by engaging the handle as she had been trained. When the door failed to open fully after multiple attempts, she held the handle down to retract it. The complaint alleges that the door failed to stop at the wall as intended, continuing to retract and pulling the nurse’s entire left hand into the wall pocket. Her hand remained trapped and under continuous pressure from the hydraulic mechanism for several minutes before crewmembers could assist in freeing her.
Holland America and Princess Accused of Jones Act Negligence and Failure to Maintain Safe Working Environment
The lawsuit brings claims under the Jones Act and General Maritime Law, asserting that the defendants failed in their absolute duty to provide a reasonably safe place to work. The plaintiff alleges that the cruise lines were negligent in several ways, including the failure to provide a properly working door, failure to inspect and maintain the hydraulic system, and failure to warn of the dangerous condition. The complaint further alleges that Holland America custom designs its vessels and maintains ultimate control over the construction and placement of fire doors, yet failed to ensure proper safety mechanisms were in place to prevent such a crushing injury. Nurse Yaremicki contends that the defendants knew or should have known of the defective condition through mandatory testing, drills, and prior shipboard safety meetings, but failed to rectify the hazard before it caused her permanent disability.
Cruise Line Lawsuit Alleges Unseaworthiness of Vessel Zaandam Following Severe Nerve Damage and Fractures
In addition to negligence, the complaint includes a count of unseaworthiness against Holland America. The plaintiff argues that the Zaandam was not reasonably fit for its intended purpose because the defective fire door constituted a dangerous condition. Following the incident, the nurse was diagnosed with an angulated fifth metacarpal head fracture. Since the initial injury, she has developed secondary conditions including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Myofascial Pain Syndrome, which her treating physicians have linked to the shipboard crushing event. The lawsuit describes ongoing symptoms such as daily numbness, tingling, loss of grip strength, and decreased range of motion in her left hand and forearm. The plaintiff asserts that these injuries have impaired her earning capacity and forced her to seek land based employment as she was not returned to work aboard a vessel.
Maritime Complaint Claims Wrongful Termination of Maintenance and Cure Benefits for Injured Crewmember
A significant portion of the lawsuit focuses on the alleged failure of Holland America and Princess to provide adequate maintenance and cure benefits. Under maritime law, seafarers are entitled to medical care and living expenses until they reach maximum medical improvement. The complaint alleges that the defendants prematurely terminated these benefits before the nurse reached maximum recovery and ignored her requests for additional care for her secondary injuries. Nurse Yaremicki claims the defendants willfully and callously delayed medical treatment and failed to arrange for necessary diagnostic tests like MRIs or specialist referrals. This failure to treat is alleged as a separate claim, with the plaintiff seeking damages for the aggravation of her physical condition and the mental anguish caused by economic insecurity and the cruise line’s alleged abandonment of its legal obligations.
Contact a Cruise Ship Crew Injury Lawyer if You Were Injured Working Aboard a Vessel
Crewmembers and maritime workers who suffer injuries due to defective equipment, lack of training, or unsafe working conditions on a cruise ship have specific rights under the Jones Act and General Maritime Law. Cruise lines are required to maintain a seaworthy vessel and provide prompt, adequate medical care to those injured in the service of the ship. If you or a loved one has suffered a crushing injury, nerve damage, or a failure to receive maintenance and cure benefits while working at sea, it is essential to understand your legal options. Our experienced maritime injury attorneys are dedicated to holding cruise lines accountable for negligence and ensuring that injured workers receive the compensation they deserve.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship attorney.
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.
