New York Woman Sues MSC Cruises After Severe Slip and Fall on Wet Hot Tub Steps Aboard MSC Seashore
Donna Crowley, 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. 1:26-cv-23609-BB, alleges that Crowley suffered serious and permanent injuries after slipping on a wet and slippery hot tub step while traveling aboard the MSC Seashore on April 22, 2025.
Cruise Passenger Injured Exiting MSC Seashore Jacuzzi Due to Slippery Surface with No Warnings
According to the complaint, the incident occurred at approximately 11:00 a.m. while the vessel was at or near Ocean Cay, MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas. Crowley was a passenger on the cruise ship when she approached an elevated, pedestal-style hot tub located on Deck 18 in the Long Island pool area. The lawsuit describes how a group of children had been continuously entering and exiting the hot tub for at least ten minutes immediately prior to her arrival, tracking water and other foreign substances onto the built-in steps. After her husband checked the water temperature and determined it was cold or lukewarm, Crowley decided not to enter the jacuzzi and began her descent. As she stepped down, her right foot slipped on an unreasonably slippery substance on the steps. Because the steps were equipped with only a single handrail on her left side, she was unable to arrest her fall or protect her right side. She fell with significant force, striking her right elbow and right hip against the structures. The complaint asserts that the extreme slipperiness was not open or obvious to an ordinary passenger by visual inspection alone, whereas the cruise line crew members are trained to identify and remediate such hazards.
MSC Cruises Accused of Failing to Maintain, Warn, and Secure Unsafe Pool Deck Conditions
The lawsuit alleges that MSC Cruises had both actual and constructive knowledge of the unsafe condition on the pool deck steps. Crowley’s legal team references a long history of prior slip and fall lawsuits filed in the Southern District of Florida involving similar incidents aboard various MSC vessels. The complaint cites recent public filings such as Horton v. MSC Cruises, Arce v. MSC Cruises, Rizzo v. MSC Cruises, Lorenzo-Garcia v. MSC Cruises, Postar v. MSC Cruises, Moore v. MSC Cruises, Hodson v. MSC Cruises, Rodriguez v. MSC Cruises, Iacoli v. MSC Cruises, Duncan v. MSC Cruises, and Wheeler v. MSC Cruises. Multiple cases involved passengers slipping on wet jacuzzi steps, outdoor stairs, or pool deck flooring across sister ships and fleet vessels, including specific incidents on the MSC Seashore itself. These earlier cases are offered as evidence that the cruise line was well aware of the recurring risks associated with wet walking surfaces and inadequate handrails but failed to implement proper preventive measures. Furthermore, Crowley notes that the steps were located in a heavily trafficked area continuously staffed by crew members, housekeepers, and safety personnel who should have discovered and dried the hazard during the time it existed before her fall.
Complaint Alleges Dangerous Hot Tub Step Design, Missing Handrails, and Negligent Shipboard Medical Treatment
In addition to failing to maintain the deck and warn passengers, Crowley alleges that MSC Cruises is responsible for a dangerously designed amenity and negligent medical care. The complaint argues that the cruise line custom designs and builds its ships, meaning it directly approved the single-handrail configuration and specified step surface materials that become unreasonably slippery when wet or mixed with sunscreen and body lotions. The design allegedly failed to comply with international safety regulations and maritime industry standards regarding safe walking surfaces and accessible handrails. Beyond the design flaws, the lawsuit details a distressing experience in the ship’s onboard medical facility. Crowley alleges that shipboard medical staff treated her in a rough manner that disregarded her privacy and modesty while cutting open her bathing suit. More significantly, the medical crew allegedly performed an improper and negligent urinary catheterization that fell below the standard of care, causing permanent urological injuries. Due to the severity of her fractures and the limitations of the shipboard infirmary, Crowley had to be emergency air-evacuated from the Bahamas to a shoreside hospital for definitive surgical treatment.
Plaintiff Seeks Damages for Fractures, Permanent Urological Injury, and Medical Evacuation Expenses
Crowley brings five counts of negligence against MSC Cruises: negligent failure to warn, negligent maintenance and inspection, negligent design and material selection, and vicarious liability for the medical staff under theories of both actual and apparent agency. She claims the cruise line breached its duty of reasonable care to provide a safe environment and competent medical assistance. The lawsuit states that as a direct result of the fall and subsequent medical care, Crowley sustained a right intertrochanteric femur fracture and a right olecranon elbow fracture, both requiring open reduction and internal fixation surgery, alongside ongoing urological trauma. She seeks damages for physical and mental pain, permanent disability, scarring, disfigurement, and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life. She also seeks compensation for substantial out-of-pocket medical expenses, including approximately $21,000 for her emergency air evacuation.
Contact a Cruise Ship Hot Tub Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Hurt on a Vessel in Unsafe Conditions
Cruise passengers injured while using onboard pools, jacuzzis, or wet deck amenities due to missing handrails, slick surfaces, or a lack of warning signs may be entitled to compensation under maritime law. Cruise lines have a legal obligation to ensure that all guest amenities are safely designed, properly monitored, and promptly dried to protect passengers from severe falls. If you or someone you care about was injured in a similar cruise ship slip and fall accident or suffered from negligent onboard medical care, contact our team of experienced maritime injury lawyers today. We are here to help you understand your rights and explore your legal options.
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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.
