Ohio Family Sues Carnival Corporation After Seven-Year-Old Boy Fractures Tibia on WaterWorks Splash Pad Aboard Carnival Paradise
L.P., a minor child and resident of Ohio, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit through his natural grandfather and legal guardian, James Pickering Jr., against Carnival Corporation in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-20127-KMM, alleges that the young boy suffered a severe and permanent leg injury after slipping on a wet splash pad and colliding with a concrete-filled umbrella stand while playing in the WaterWorks area of the Carnival Paradise on March 30, 2025.
Minor Passenger Injured on Carnival Paradise WaterWorks Splash Pad Due to Unsafe Obstacle and Slippery Flooring
According to the complaint, the seven-year-old plaintiff was playing with his siblings and cousins in the aquatic playground on Deck 11, specifically near the landing zone of the side-by-side racing slides. The lawsuit asserts that Carnival actively markets this area as a high-speed competitive attraction, using terms like zoom and racing action to encourage children to play energetically. While acting as a timekeeper for a race, the child allegedly slipped on the wet blue polyurethane foam surface and struck his left shin against a heavy, wheeled, concrete-filled umbrella stand. The complaint alleges the stand was positioned in the middle of the landing zone where children are encouraged to congregate, and that a waterslide attendant was using the umbrella for shade at the time of the incident without providing any warnings regarding the slippery floor or the hard-edged hazard.
Carnival Accused of Actual and Constructive Knowledge of Hazardous Conditions in Children’s Water Park Areas
The lawsuit alleges that Carnival had significant notice of the dangerous conditions that led to the child’s injury. The plaintiff’s legal team argues that Carnival’s own internal policies and procedures identify slip and fall accidents as a constant concern in water park areas. Furthermore, the complaint details that the cruise line’s safety videos and signage admit the high-risk nature of these wet surfaces. To establish constructive notice, the lawsuit references a long list of prior similar incidents across Carnival’s fleet, including cases such as Beam v. Carnival Corporation, Schaefer v. Carnival Corporation, and Stewart v. Carnival Corporation, all of which involved passengers slipping and falling in or near the WaterWorks attractions. The plaintiff also claims that another passenger reported a similar fall in the exact same location just minutes before this incident, which should have alerted the crew to the immediate danger.
Complaint Alleges Negligent Design Modification and Violation of Industry Safety Standards on Carnival Paradise
In addition to maintenance failures, the complaint alleges that the placement of the heavy umbrella stand violated industry safety standards, including ASTM F1292 for impact attenuation and SOLAS requirements for keeping escape routes clear of obstacles. The lawsuit contends that the umbrella stand was not part of the original deck plan or manufacturer specifications for the WaterWorks area and that no valid work order existed to authorize such a modification. The plaintiff argues that by introducing a hard, concrete-filled obstacle into a high-traffic zone where children are expected to run and splash, Carnival created a recipe for disaster that deviated from safe operating procedures and undermined the purpose of the cushioned flooring.
Plaintiff Suffers Life-Threatening Medical Complications and Permanent Disability Following Cruise Ship Injury
The legal filing describes a harrowing medical journey for the young plaintiff following the fracture of his tibial shaft. After initial treatments failed to heal the bone, the child underwent surgery on June 13, 2025. During the procedure, the boy suffered an anaphylactic reaction to administered antibiotics, leading to a life-threatening emergency where he nearly died on the operating table. The surgery had to be terminated before the stabilizing internal fixation could be completed, leaving the child’s leg in an unstable and precarious state. The lawsuit seeks damages for physical pain, mental anguish, emotional trauma, and permanent disability, noting that the child now walks with an affected gait and faces a lifetime of increased medical risks and physical limitations.
Contact a Cruise Ship Water Park Injury Lawyer Today if Your Child Was Injured in an Aquatic Playground Accident
Cruise ship passengers and their families expect that recreational areas designed for children will be free from hidden obstacles and managed with the highest standard of care. When cruise lines like Carnival fail to follow their own deck plans or ignore industry safety standards for water slide landing zones, the results can be catastrophic. If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury due to a slip and fall or a collision with improperly placed equipment on a cruise ship, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills and suffering. Contact our team of experienced maritime injury attorneys today to discuss your case and explore your legal options under maritime law.
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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.
