Illinois Woman Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Tripping and Fracturing Leg on Loose Metal Threshold Aboard Carnival Horizon
Kimberly Larkin, a resident of Minooka, Illinois, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-24365-BB, alleges that Larkin suffered serious, permanent, and continuing physical injuries after tripping on a loose metal flooring threshold while walking on Deck 4 of the Carnival Horizon on June 9, 2025.
Cruise Passenger Injured Aboard Carnival Horizon Due to Loose Flooring Strip and Lack of Safety Signs
According to the federal complaint, the incident occurred while Larkin was walking along a passenger walkway on Deck 4 of the cruise ship. While navigating the area, she encountered a dangerous metal threshold separating sections of tile flooring that had become detached from the ground. The raised flooring transition created an unexpected tripping hazard that was not flush with the floor, causing Larkin to fall violently and suffer a fractured leg. Immediately following the incident, two Carnival shipboard employees, identified as Master Carpenter Matthew Tuankachan and an employee named Jim, arrived at the scene with tools. In the presence of Larkin and her husband, the crew members tightened down the loose metal strip, confirming that the hardware had not been properly secured. The lawsuit asserts that Carnival failed to set up cautionary signs, block access to the walkway, or offer verbal warnings, leaving passengers completely unaware of the structural flooring defect.
Carnival Accused of Failing to Maintain and Warn Against Known Flooring Hazards and Defective Walkways
The legal filing alleges that Carnival Corporation had both actual and constructive notice of the dangers associated with unfastened metal transitions but failed to take corrective action across its fleet. To establish that the cruise line was aware of the recurring risk, Larkin’s legal team points to a documented history of similar maritime injuries filed in the Southern District of Florida involving loose metal thresholds on Carnival ships. The complaint highlights several prior federal lawsuits, including Branton v. Carnival Corporation involving a passenger injured on a loose metal threshold aboard the Carnival Vista; Hughes v. Carnival Corporation regarding a protruding metal strip on the Carnival Splendor; Caesar-Bishop v. Carnival Corporation concerning a Deck 5 walkway trip on the Carnival Triumph; Herring v. Carnival Corporation also involving a raised threshold on the Carnival Vista; and Ramos v. Carnival Corporation involving an identical walkway hazard on the Carnival Celebration. The lawsuit further claims that Carnival regularly utilizes strict confidentiality clauses during settlements to conceal the high frequency of passenger falls from the public, requiring formal litigation discovery to uncover the true scope of the safety failures.
Federal Complaint Alleges Violations of International Walkway Safety Standards and Negligent Inspection Protocols
In addition to failing to warn travelers on the ship, the complaint argues that Carnival routinely ignored established maritime industry safety parameters regarding floor maintenance. The plaintiff asserts that the cruise line operated in direct violation of standard walking surface guidelines, specifically referencing American Society for Testing and Materials standards which dictate that commercial passenger walkways must remain stable, planar, flush, and entirely even to prevent injuries. The lawsuit alleges that Carnival breached its non-delegable maritime duties by failing to implement adequate inspection routines, failing to monitor heavy-traffic interior decks, and allowing structural hardware to separate from the surrounding subfloor. Because the raised metal piece sat directly in a primary passenger thoroughfare, the legal team argues the cruise line should have easily detected and repaired the hazard during daily safety sweeps before a passenger suffered a severe injury.
Plaintiff Seeks Compensation for Leg Fractures, Extensive Surgical Procedures, and Lost Capacity to Earn Income
Larkin has brought two counts of maritime negligence against the cruise operator: negligent failure to maintain a threshold and negligent failure to warn. The lawsuit seeks substantial monetary damages for the severe physical and financial harm caused by the vessel’s poorly managed flooring. As a direct result of the fall, Larkin suffered a fractured leg that required urgent orthopedic surgery, extensive hospitalization, and ongoing medical rehabilitation. The complaint states that her physical limitations are permanent, resulting in ongoing pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical disfigurement, and a complete loss of the capacity to enjoy life. Additionally, the lawsuit seeks to recover significant past and future economic damages, including mounting medical bills, lost wages from missed employment, and a diminished capacity to earn money in the future due to the long-term impacts of the orthopedic injury.
Contact a Cruise Ship Walkway Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Injured on a Vessel Due to Defective Maintenance
Passengers who sustain severe injuries due to poorly maintained flooring, loose thresholds, or a lack of warning signs while traveling on a commercial cruise ship may be entitled to financial recovery under general maritime law. Major cruise operators like Carnival Corporation are legally required to maintain all public spaces in a reasonably safe condition and must provide clear warnings whenever a hidden hazard arises. If you or a loved one suffered a fracture or other serious harm due to a trip and fall accident on a cruise ship walkway, contacting an experienced maritime attorney can help protect your legal rights.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship trip and fall 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.
