Texas Man Sues Carnival Cruise Line Following Serious Injury From Broken Stateroom Shower Drain Aboard Carnival Celebration
Arad Galarza, a resident of Texas, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The federal lawsuit, registered under Case No. 1:26-cv-24171-CMA, alleges that Galarza suffered severe, permanent, and continuing physical injuries due to a dangerously defective stateroom shower drain setup. The incident occurred on October 18, 2025, while he was a fare-paying passenger traveling on navigable waters aboard the Carnival Celebration.
Cruise Passenger Injured Inside Carnival Celebration Cabin Stateroom Due to Broken and Loose Shower Drain
According to the legal complaint, the hazardous incident took place entirely within the confines of Galarza’s assigned passenger cabin stateroom shower. While attempting to use the shower facilities, Galarza’s left leg and foot suddenly fell directly into a broken and loose shower drain assembly. The lawsuit states that the hazardous flooring condition was completely hidden from view, rendering it neither open nor obvious to an unsuspecting passenger. Galarza maintains he had absolutely no advanced warning or way of knowing that the drain structure was structurally compromised or structurally unstable, leaving him with no opportunity to avoid the sudden entrapment and resulting bodily harm.
Carnival Accused of Failing to Warn Passengers of Stateroom Hazards Despite Notice of Prior Cruise Ship Drain Injuries
The maritime complaint asserts that Carnival Corporation had actual or constructive knowledge of the systemic dangers associated with broken, loose, and poorly maintained shower drains across its fleet. To establish that the cruise line was fully aware of these specific plumbing and flooring hazards, the plaintiff’s legal counsel highlights multiple prior personal injury lawsuits filed by passengers against Carnival in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit explicitly references Tammy Norsworthy v. Carnival, where a passenger on the Carnival Glory was injured by a drain that sat unevenly with the deck surface. It also points to Ashley Crutchfield v. Carnival involving an improperly secured drain cover on the Carnival Glory, and Gemma Boding v. Carnival, which involved a severe toe injury caused by a sharp stateroom shower drain on the Carnival Vista. The plaintiff argues that despite these clear historical warnings and routinely scheduled cabin inspections by room stewards, Carnival failed to modify its safety protocols or warn Galarza about the compromised drain.
Complaint Alleges Negligent Cabin Maintenance, Lack of Inspection Protocols, and Failure to Provide Safe Accommodations
In addition to a severe failure to warn passengers, the lawsuit focuses heavily on Carnival’s failure to maintain its guest accommodations in a reasonably safe condition. The complaint argues that the cruise line failed to adequately inspect, monitor, and evaluate the stateroom shower drain to ensure it had not become rusted, loose, or structurally broken under normal wear and tear. Because cruise ship crew members regularly enter and clean passenger staterooms between voyages and during daily turn-down services, the legal team notes that Carnival should have easily detected and repaired the loose drain before assigning the cabin to a new guest. By failing to enforce strict maintenance standards, the cruise line allegedly allowed a hazardous flooring abnormality to persist in an area where passengers are explicitly invited to walk barefoot.
Plaintiff Seeks Damages for Permanent Bodily Injury, Medical Expenses, and Total Loss of Cruise Value Due to Negligence
Galarza’s lawsuit formally brings three distinct counts of negligence against the cruise operator: negligent failure to warn, negligent failure to maintain, and general negligence. The plaintiff claims that Carnival breached its non-delegable duty of care to provide safe cruise ship facilities under general maritime law. As a direct result of his leg and foot falling into the defective drain, Galarza suffered severe physical injuries to his lower body and extremities, physical handicap, permanent disfigurement, and the aggravation of pre-existing conditions. The lawsuit seeks substantial compensation for ongoing physical pain, mental anguish, medical treatment expenses, lost wages, and diminished future earning capacity. Furthermore, because the severe injury completely incapacitated him during the voyage, Galarza is seeking full restitution for the lost value of his vacation, cruise fare, and related transportation expenses.
Contact a Cruise Ship Cabin Injury Lawyer Today if You Were Hurt by Defective Conditions or Broken Ship Equipment
Passengers who suffer severe injuries due to broken stateroom fixtures, defective shower drains, or poorly maintained flooring surfaces aboard a cruise ship have clear protections under federal maritime law. Major cruise operators like Carnival Corporation are legally required to maintain all guest accommodations in a safe condition and routinely inspect cabins to eliminate hidden traps. If you or a loved one experienced a severe slip, trip, or entrapment injury while traveling on a cruise liner, speaking with an experienced cruise line accident attorney can help clarify your legal rights. Contact our dedicated legal team today to review your case and discover your options for recovering financial compensation.
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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.
