Canadian Woman Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Tripping on Unmarked Threshold on Carnival Horizon
Patricia Bisessar, a resident of Ontario, Canada, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-25539-BB, alleges that Bisessar sustained serious shoulder injuries requiring surgery after tripping over an unmarked raised threshold near the casino on Deck 4 of the Carnival Horizon.
Passenger Suffers Shoulder Injury After Tripping on Elevated Walking Surface Near Casino on Carnival Horizon
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on October 30, 2024, as Bisessar was walking toward the casino on Deck 4 of the Carnival Horizon. She tripped over a sudden, unmarked elevation change in the flooring near the casino entrance. The elevated threshold, alleged to be difficult to detect, caused her to lose her footing and fall violently, resulting in severe shoulder trauma that ultimately required arthroplasty surgery.
The complaint argues that the hazard was not open or obvious to a reasonably careful passenger and lacked any visual cues, markings, or warning signs that would indicate a change in floor elevation. It further alleges that Carnival created a foreseeable risk by failing to mitigate this tripping hazard in a high-traffic area of the vessel.
Carnival Allegedly Ignored Pattern of Similar Trip-and-Fall Incidents Across Its Fleet
Bisessar’s legal team asserts that Carnival had both actual and constructive notice of the risk posed by unmarked thresholds and raised transitions. The complaint references multiple similar lawsuits involving Carnival ships where passengers tripped over raised flooring or thresholds in interior areas. These include:
- Shields v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Sunrise, 2024)
- McDaniel v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Dream, 2024)
- Smith v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Radiance, 2023)
- Reed v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Conquest, 2023)
- Benitez v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Glory, 2023)
- Iverson-Kristen v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Spirit, 2022)
- Palese v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Legend, 2022)
- Shideler v. Carnival Corporation (Carnival Vista, 2022)
These prior cases are cited to show that Carnival has long been aware of the hazard presented by unmarked floor transitions but has allegedly failed to implement effective fleet-wide solutions.
Complaint Alleges Carnival Failed to Maintain Walking Surfaces and Warn Passengers of Hidden Trip Hazards
Bisessar brings two counts of negligence against Carnival: negligent maintenance and negligent failure to warn. The negligent maintenance claim alleges Carnival failed to:
- Keep the walking surface near the casino in a safe condition
- Follow manufacturer’s specifications for the deck flooring
- Conduct regular inspections of high-traffic interior walking areas
- Deploy sufficient crew to identify and address known hazards
- Implement appropriate safety policies and corrective measures
In her failure to warn claim, Bisessar alleges Carnival did not provide visual or verbal warnings of the raised threshold and failed to install markings or signage that could have alerted her to the hazard. The complaint argues that the condition was not open or obvious and that passengers like Bisessar had no reasonable way to anticipate or avoid the risk.
Plaintiff Seeks Damages for Surgery, Pain, and Long-Term Disability from Carnival’s Negligence
As a result of the fall, Bisessar claims she sustained a serious shoulder injury that required arthroplasty surgery, along with pain, suffering, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. She also alleges ongoing medical expenses and anticipates future health care costs related to her injury. The complaint states that her damages are permanent or continuing in nature.
The plaintiff has requested a jury trial and seeks compensatory damages under general maritime law.
Tripped on an Unmarked Threshold Aboard a Cruise Ship? Speak With a Maritime Injury Attorney
Cruise lines are obligated to maintain walking surfaces and public areas in safe condition and must warn passengers of known or foreseeable hazards. If you or a loved one has been injured in a trip-and-fall incident aboard a cruise ship due to an unmarked threshold or flooring defect, legal options may be available.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship trip and fall injury lawyer.
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.
