Pennsylvania Man Sues Royal Caribbean After Slip and Fall on Wet Sky Bar Staircase While Onboard Liberty of the Seas
Drew Bennett, a resident of Pennsylvania, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:26-cv-24561-WPD, alleges that Bennett suffered serious and permanent injuries after slipping on a wet exterior staircase while descending from the Deck 12 Sky Bar onboard the Liberty of the Seas on July 7, 2025.
Cruise Passenger Injured on Liberty of the Seas Sky Bar Staircase Due to Widespread Rain and Inadequate Slip Protection
According to the complaint, the incident occurred during the nighttime hours as Bennett was walking down the open-air staircase connecting open Deck 12 to open Deck 11, specifically right in front of the vessel’s Sky Bar. The lawsuit alleges that the staircase had become extensively wet from ongoing rain, tracked water, and spilled beverages, turning the stairs into an unexpectedly slick hazard. Bennett asserts that Royal Caribbean knew the step treads were dangerously slippery when wet but chose to place a black grip strip across only a small fraction of each step surface. This configuration left the sides of the steps and the prominent leading edge completely unprotected, directly in the path where passengers naturally walk while holding the handrail.
Royal Caribbean Accused of Failing to Dry Exterior Decks, Place Caution Signs, or Restrict Access During Rain
The lawsuit alleges that Royal Caribbean possessed both actual and constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition but failed to intervene. Despite ongoing rain and an established presence of crew members on the open decks, the cruise line allegedly failed to send cleaners to squeegee or dry the staircase for a significant period leading up to the fall. Furthermore, the complaint points out that the area suffered from poor nighttime lighting and that the cruise line failed to cordon off the unsafe steps, post warning cones, or provide any written or verbal notices to passengers. The legal team notes that Royal Caribbean actively designs its outdoor environments to be heavily congested, distracting guests with loud music, entertainment, and visual attractions, which reduces passenger awareness of underlying flooring hazards.
Prior Slip and Fall Lawsuits Cited as Evidence of Cruise Line Fleetwide Notice of Dangerous Stairway and Deck Surfaces
To establish that the cruise line had explicit notice of the hazards associated with wet outdoor flooring, the complaint details multiple prior personal injury lawsuits filed in the Southern District of Florida against Royal Caribbean. The plaintiff references several specific cases involving passengers who suffered similar slip and fall injuries on wet, slippery substances across the fleet, including Sharon Bystrek v. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Case No. 1:19-cv-24555), Kurt Patten v. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Case No. 1:19-cv-20993), Lillian Benson v. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Case No. 1:15-cv-24312-PCH), and Gerard Mees v. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (Case No. 1:23-cv-20156). The lawsuit argues that these fleetwide incidents should have prompted comprehensive safety adjustments, yet the cruise line permitted the hazardous conditions on the Liberty of the Seas to persist for years.
Complaint Details Negligent Staircase Design, Deficient Crew Training, and Violations of International Maritime Standards
In addition to maintenance failures, the lawsuit levels specific accusations against the design choices made by Royal Caribbean, noting that the cruise line embedded its own architects and engineers directly into the shipyard during construction to maintain ultimate control over layout approvals. By failing to apply non-slip material across the entire walking surface of a staircase exposed to weather elements, the cruise line allegedly violated industry safety guidelines, including ASTM and ANSI standards, as well as the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulations established by the International Maritime Organization. The complaint also outlines counts of negligent training, asserting that the cruise line failed to properly instruct its shipboard housekeeping personnel on how frequently to inspect open decks during storms and when to deploy safety barriers.
Plaintiff Seeks Compensation for Avulsion Fracture, Extensive Surgeries, Lost Wages, and Permanent Physical Impairment
Bennett brings six distinct counts of negligence against Royal Caribbean, encompassing direct and vicarious failure to maintain, direct and vicarious failure to warn, negligent crew training, and negligent design and selection of materials. The lawsuit describes the medical consequences of the fall as severe and permanent, noting that the backward slip caused an avulsion fracture of Bennett’s right patella, a painful condition where the patellar tendon tears away a piece of the kneecap bone. This injury required extensive orthopedic surgery to reattach the tendon. As a result, Bennett is seeking economic and non-economic damages for past and future medical expenses, permanent physical disability, scarring, disfigurement, severe pain and suffering, mental anguish, lost wages, and a diminished capacity to earn a living in the future.
Contact a Cruise Line Boarding and Deck Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Hurt in a Staircase Slip and Fall
Cruise lines operate under a strict maritime legal duty to maintain their open decks, stairways, and passenger walkways in a reasonably safe condition, especially when weather conditions introduce foreseeable risks of slipping. When cruise operators fail to monitor heavily trafficked outdoor entertainment areas, neglect to apply comprehensive non-slip tracking, or skip essential warning signs, they can be held fully liable for resulting passenger injuries. If you or a loved one suffered a severe injury due to a wet walkway or dangerous step design while traveling on a cruise ship, contact our experienced legal team today to protect your rights and review your 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.
