Indiana Woman Sues Carnival Cruise Line Following Trip and Fall on Concealed Slope Onboard Carnival Conquest
Diane Wilson, a resident of Indiana, 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-21095-WPD, alleges that Wilson sustained permanent and significant injuries after encountering an unsafe and hidden sloped surface while walking through a passenger cabin hallway on the Carnival Conquest. The incident occurred on April 1, 2025, while the vessel was in navigable waters.
Cruise Passenger Injured on Carnival Conquest Deck 2 Due to Hidden Hallway Incline Near Fire Door Threshold
According to the complaint, the incident took place on Deck 2 of the Carnival Conquest in the starboard side aft section near cabins 2429 through 2431. Wilson was walking through the hallway when she encountered a sloped transition that began approximately 24 to 30 inches before a metal fire door threshold. The lawsuit alleges that Carnival permitted a concealed and unsafe condition to exist by camouflaging the slope with a uniform carpet design that extended throughout the cabin hallways. This uniform pattern allegedly rendered the change in elevation impossible for passengers to perceive as they approached the doorway. Wilson asserts that the hazard was particularly deceptive because other fire door thresholds in the same area were level and contained no such slopes, providing passengers with no visual or physical cues that this specific location was different.
Carnival Accused of Failing to Maintain and Provide Adequate Warnings for Known Tripping Hazards in Public Walkways
The lawsuit alleges that Carnival had both actual and constructive notice of the dangerous condition due to the length of time the slope existed and the repetitive nature of the problem. Wilson’s legal team argues that Carnival’s own crew members cleaned the area daily and frequently traversed the same hallways, providing the cruise line with ample opportunity to recognize and rectify the hazard. Furthermore, the complaint points to Carnival’s own passenger safety orientation videos, which acknowledge that changes in floor levels and unique threshold designs can present tripping hazards. Despite this internal recognition of the risk, the complaint alleges there were no markings, contrasting colors, handrails, or warning signs at the site of the incident to alert passengers to the sudden change in elevation.
Complaint Cites Numerous Prior Slip and Fall Incidents Involving Uneven Flooring and Slopes Across Carnival Fleet
To demonstrate that Carnival was aware of the risks associated with concealed slopes and flooring transitions, the plaintiff’s legal team references a history of similar incidents. The complaint identifies multiple prior lawsuits filed against Carnival Corporation involving passengers who tripped or fell on uneven or sloped walkways. Cited cases include Cook v. Carnival Corporation involving the Carnival Dream, Rembert v. Carnival Corporation on the Carnival Sunshine, and Robinson v. Carnival Corporation on the Carnival Vista. Additional examples include similar accidents aboard the Carnival Horizon, Victory, Celebration, and Fascination. These previous legal actions are offered as evidence that Carnival has long been aware that its shipboard walkway designs and flooring transitions pose a foreseeable risk of harm to passengers.
Plaintiff Alleges Negligent Design and Selection of Materials Created Optical Illusion in Carnival Conquest Hallway
Wilson further alleges that Carnival is directly responsible for the negligent design and construction of the vessel. The complaint asserts that Carnival maintains ultimate control over the design specifications of its Conquest-class ships through its shoreside departments and onsite shipyard presence. The lawsuit argues that the cruise line specifically selected and approved the uniform carpeting and sloped transitions that created the dangerous optical illusion. By choosing materials that blended the incline into the surrounding floor, Carnival allegedly failed to provide a reasonably safe walking surface in a high-traffic area intended for continuous passenger use. The complaint also notes that these hallways serve as escape routes under international safety treaties, such as the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) treaty, which requires such paths to be maintained in a safe condition.
Indiana Resident Seeks Damages for Permanent Injuries and Medical Expenses Resulting from Carnival’s Negligence
Wilson brings six counts of negligence against Carnival: negligent failure to maintain, vicarious liability for failure to maintain, negligent failure to warn, vicarious liability for failure to warn, negligent training of personnel, and negligent design and selection of materials. She claims that as a direct result of the fall, she suffered significant and permanent injuries, including trauma to her wrist, back, and eye. The lawsuit seeks recovery for economic damages such as medical and psychological treatment, lost income, and loss of earning capacity. Additionally, Wilson seeks non-economic damages for pain and suffering, physical impairment, mental anguish, and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life.
Contact a Cruise Ship Hallway Trip and Fall Lawyer Today if You Were Injured by a Concealed Floor Hazard
Cruise passengers who suffer injuries due to hidden slopes, camouflaged floor transitions, or unmarked thresholds may be eligible for compensation under maritime law. Cruise companies like Carnival have a non-delegable duty to exercise reasonable care and must ensure that public walkways are free of tripping hazards that are not open and obvious to guests. If you or a loved one was injured in a similar trip and fall accident involving poor lighting, lack of warning signs, or unsafe walkway design, contact our team of experienced maritime injury attorneys today to discuss your rights.
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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.
