New York Man Sues MSC Cruises After Severe Slip and Fall on Wet Pool Deck Flooring Aboard MSC Meraviglia
Paul F. Esposito, a resident of New York, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against MSC Cruises S.A. in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 0:26-cv-61779-DMM, alleges that Esposito suffered serious and permanent injuries after slipping on an accumulation of water on the open deck floor of the Bamboo Pool area aboard the MSC Meraviglia on July 11, 2025.
Cruise Passenger Injured Near Bamboo Pool Due to Standing Water and Lack of Warning Signs
According to the complaint, the incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. on the sixth day of the cruise. Esposito had spent approximately thirty minutes in the pool followed by thirty minutes resting on a nearby lounge chair. When he stood up to exit the Bamboo Pool area on Deck 15, he took a single step forward and stepped directly into an unattended one-foot by one-foot puddle of water. The impact caused him to slip and fall heavily onto his right arm and right leg. The lawsuit asserts that MSC Cruises allowed a large volume of liquid to accumulate and remain on the open deck floor for an extended duration without setting up yellow caution signs, cones, blowers, or towels to dry the floor. Esposito alleges that a crew member present in the immediate area was picking up trash instead of addressing the excess water, leaving passengers without any verbal or visual warnings regarding the hidden slipping hazard.
MSC Cruises Accused of Ignoring Fleetwide History of Pool Deck Slip and Fall Accidents
The lawsuit alleges that MSC Cruises had actual and constructive knowledge that its pool deck surfaces become dangerously slick when wet. To establish that the cruise line had prior notice of the recurring hazard, the plaintiff’s legal team highlights multiple prior slip and fall lawsuits filed by passengers against MSC Cruises in the Southern District of Florida. The complaint references specific incidents, including Colleen Davis v. MSC Cruises, where a passenger fell on Deck 15 of the MSC Meraviglia on March 2, 2023, and Angela Wilson v. MSC Cruises, involving a fall near the main pool of the same ship on September 18, 2021. Additional lawsuits cited include Woody v. MSC Cruises S.A. from December 2019, Kettler v. MSC Cruises S.A. from February 2020, and two separate 2017 slip and fall incidents involving passengers Laura Colligne and Corrine Piccinetti in the Aqua Park of the MSC Divina. The complaint argues these cases prove fleetwide awareness of walkway traction issues that the cruise line failed to rectify.
Complaint Alleges Negligent Vessel Design, Defective Material Selection, and Inadequate Staff Training
In addition to maintenance failures, Esposito alleges that MSC Cruises is directly responsible for the defective design and material selection of the pool deck flooring. Because MSC custom designs and specifies its vessels from the shipyard, the company exercised ultimate control over the choice of the open-deck flooring material, which the complaint argues lacks sufficient traction when exposed to standard wet environments. Furthermore, the lawsuit targets internal corporate failures, alleging that MSC failed to properly train and supervise its shipboard crew to enforce the company’s own Safety Management Manual. The complaint details that while MSC teaches crew members that pool deck floors are slippery when wet, supervisors and deck stewards routinely fail to inspect walkways with the frequency required by international safety standards, such as the Safety of Life at Sea treaty requirements for maintaining safe escape routes.
Plaintiff Seeks Damages for Permanent Foot Injuries, Economic Losses, and Physical Impairment
Esposito brings six counts against MSC Cruises, including negligent maintenance, negligent failure to warn, negligent training, negligent design and material selection, and vicarious liability for the active negligence of the shipboard supervisor and pool attendants. The lawsuit states that as a direct result of the fall, Esposito sustained severe and permanent injuries to his right foot, including internal derangement, right foot first metatarsophalangeal joint arthropathy, intermetatarsal bursitis, cartilage loss, and marrow edema. The plaintiff seeks compensation for past and future economic damages, including medical expenses, psychological care, household assistance, and lost income earning capacity. Additionally, he seeks non-economic damages for permanent physical impairment, severe pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, and a loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life.
Contact a Cruise Ship Pool Deck Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Hurt on an Unsafe Walkway
Cruise passengers who sustain severe injuries due to wet flooring, unaddressed puddles, or a lack of caution signs on a vessel’s recreation decks may have grounds to seek financial recovery under federal maritime law. Cruise operators have a strict obligation to maintain highly trafficked pool areas in a reasonably safe condition and to promptly warn passengers of traction hazards that are not open or obvious. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury due to shipboard negligence, contact our experienced team of maritime injury attorneys to discuss your case.
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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.
