Louisiana Resident Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Elevator Misleveling Accident Leads to Serious Injuries on Carnival Valor
Alice Danclar, a resident of Louisiana, has initiated a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-21153-AHS, the complaint alleges that Danclar suffered significant and permanent injuries due to a hazardous elevator malfunction while she was a passenger aboard the Carnival Valor in January 2025.
Cruise Passenger Injured on Carnival Valor Following Trip and Fall Caused by Elevator Misleveling
The incident reportedly took place on the morning of January 21, 2025, while the Carnival Valor was at sea during a cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel. According to the court filing, Danclar was an occupant of an elevator along with three other passengers. When the elevator arrived at Deck 8 and the doors opened, Danclar attempted to exit the car first. However, the elevator car had allegedly failed to stop flush with the landing, instead coming to a rest approximately three to five inches below the surface of the deck. This vertical deviation created an unexpected tripping hazard that Danclar could not have reasonably anticipated. As she stepped forward to exit, the misleveled condition caused her to trip and fall violently forward onto the deck surface.
Carnival Accused of Constructive Notice Regarding Recurring Elevator Leveling Defects Across Fleet
The lawsuit asserts that Carnival was aware or should have been aware of the dangers posed by malfunctioning elevators. To establish constructive notice, the plaintiff’s legal team points to a prior substantially similar incident involving another passenger, Rosemarie De Matteo, who was allegedly injured in May 2024 aboard the Carnival Celebration under nearly identical circumstances. In that instance, an elevator on Deck 16 failed to level with the landing, resulting in a similar trip and fall accident. The complaint argues that elevator misleveling is not a sudden occurrence but typically stems from mechanical wear, improper maintenance, or faulty calibration that develops over time. Danclar alleges that had Carnival crew members performed their mandated inspections with reasonable care, the hazardous state of the elevator would have been identified and corrected before her injury occurred.
Lawsuit Highlights Violations of Industry Safety Standards and Internal Cruise Line Maintenance Protocols
Danclar alleges that Carnival’s failure to maintain the elevator constitutes a breach of both internal policies and widely recognized industry safety standards. The complaint notes that Carnival’s own Safety Management System requires monthly inspections of critical elevator components by certified engineers, specifically focusing on systems that affect leveling accuracy. Furthermore, the lawsuit cites established standards such as the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators (ASME A17.1) and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which require passenger elevators to maintain a leveling accuracy within one-half inch. The plaintiff contends that the deviation of three to five inches in this case represents a gross violation of these safety thresholds, indicating that the cruise line either failed to conduct necessary inspections or ignored the resulting data.
Plaintiff Seeks Damages for Surgical Intervention and Permanent Loss of Enjoyment of Life Due to Negligence
The legal action includes multiple counts against Carnival Corporation, including negligent failure to warn, general negligence, and vicarious liability for the acts of the ship’s crew and electricians. As a direct result of the fall, Danclar claims to have sustained severe injuries to her right knee, arm, and shoulder, necessitating surgical intervention and ongoing medical care. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, disability, loss of earnings, and the lost value of the cruise vacation. Danclar maintains that the dangerous condition was not open or obvious and that she was entitled to rely on the safety of the vessel’s vertical transportation systems.
Contact a Cruise Ship Elevator Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Hurt by a Malfunctioning Lift at Sea
Passengers who suffer injuries due to mechanical failures, misleveling elevators, or poorly maintained facilities on a cruise ship may be eligible for compensation under maritime law. Cruise operators have a strict legal duty to protect passengers from foreseeable hazards and must ensure that all machinery, including elevators, operates within safe industry tolerances. If you or a loved one experienced a trip and fall accident or other injury while on a cruise, reaching out to an experienced maritime attorney can help you understand the complexities of filing a claim against a major cruise line.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship injury 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.
