Missouri Mother Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Five-Year-Old Son Suffers Severe Lido Deck Burns on Carnival Glory
Brittany Ware, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri, acting on behalf of her five-year-old minor son, Zen Ware, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The federal maritime complaint, filed under Case Number 1:26-cv-26790-JB, alleges that the young child sustained severe second-degree burns to the soles of both feet after traversing an excessively hot exterior deck surface near the Turquoise Pool waterslide aboard the Carnival Glory on July 19, 2026.
Child Suffers Severe Pool Deck Burns After Crew Instructed Removal of Swim Shoes on Carnival Glory
According to the filed complaint, the minor child was enjoying the exterior pool amenities on the Lido deck when Carnival crew members stationed at the children’s waterslide directed passengers to take off their footwear. Following these explicit crew directives, the five-year-old complied and removed his swim shoes to walk across the open deck to access the slide. Unbeknownst to the child and his mother, the deck surface had reached dangerously extreme temperatures from prolonged sun exposure, resulting in immediate partial-thickness burns across the bottoms of both feet. The filing notes that the child rapidly formed blisters and suffered extreme pain, with the injuries proving severe enough to impair basic walking, disrupt summer school, and cause ongoing emotional distress and a persistent fear of walking barefoot.
Carnival Accused of Notice Regarding Unreasonably Hot Exterior Pool Decks and Failure to Warn Guests
The lawsuit contends that Carnival Corporation had both actual and constructive notice of the extreme heat hazards inherent to its exposed exterior flooring materials. Counsel for the plaintiff highlights an extensive pattern of prior burn incidents aboard Carnival vessels to establish foreseeable risk. The complaint references prior federal court actions such as Musto v. Carnival Corporation, Gies v. Carnival Corporation, and Gibbs v. Carnival Corporation, alongside more than a dozen documented administrative claims and guest injury incidents involving passenger burns on exterior decks. Despite widespread awareness of how hot outdoor pool surfaces become in direct sunlight, the cruise line allegedly failed to install protective rubber mats, failed to post warning cones or signage, and failed to monitor deck surface temperatures before demanding that children remove their protective swim shoes.
Lawsuit Alleges Shipboard Infirmary Refused to Render Basic First Aid to Burned Five-Year-Old Passenger
Beyond the initial premises liability allegations, the complaint brings an additional claim for negligent failure to render medical care and first aid. Following the incident, the mother carried her blistered child directly downstairs to the shipboard infirmary seeking emergency relief. The filing asserts that ship medical personnel evaluated the child’s visible trauma and calculated the anticipated financial charge for medical evaluation. When the mother could not immediately pay the steep fee, staff allegedly turned the five-year-old away without providing basic clinical aid, requiring her instead to purchase simple retail ointment and gauze bandages directly from the facility. The family asserts this refusal exacerbated the child’s suffering until he could receive professional treatment at a shoreside emergency room and urgent care center upon returning home.
Plaintiff Seeks Substantial Compensatory and Punitive Damages for Maritime Negligence and Lasting Harm
The complaint asserts three formal counts under general maritime law: general negligence, negligent failure to warn, and negligent failure to render first aid. The plaintiff asserts that Carnival breached its duty of reasonable care under maritime law by failing to provide safe deck surfaces, failing to warn passengers of hidden thermal hazards, and refusing immediate medical attention to a severely injured minor. Ware is seeking damages for ongoing medical treatment, future wound care, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and the complete lost value of the cruise vacation. Because Carnival’s alleged refusal to render first aid is characterized as intentional, wanton, and willful conduct, the complaint also demands punitive damages alongside full compensation.
Contact a Cruise Ship Deck Burn Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Hurt Aboard a Vessel
Cruise passengers, especially young children, who suffer severe burns or slip hazards on exterior ship decks may be entitled to significant financial recovery under maritime law. Cruise operators have a clear duty to monitor deck temperatures, post clear warnings, provide protective flooring, and render immediate first aid when vacationers are injured in foreseeable accidents. If you or a loved one experienced serious injuries or medical neglect during a cruise vacation, reaching out to an experienced maritime law attorney can ensure your legal rights are protected.
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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.
