Texas Passenger Sues Princess Cruise Lines After Slip and Fall on Wet Marble Deck Aboard Sun Princess
Jill Kempa, a resident of Texas, has filed a federal maritime personal injury lawsuit against Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd. in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case Number 1:26-cv-26853-JEM, alleges that Kempa suffered catastrophic physical injuries after slipping on wet and unreasonably slippery marble flooring while walking through the central Piazza of the Sun Princess on January 31, 2026.
Cruise Passenger Injured in Sun Princess Piazza Due to Unreasonably Slippery Wet Deck Flooring
According to the complaint, Kempa was a paying passenger aboard the Sun Princess for an eight-day voyage departing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On the morning of January 31, 2026, at around 9:45 a.m., she was walking across Deck 7 through the ship Piazza, a multi-deck atrium that acts as the primary social and architectural hub of the vessel. While crossing the interior walkway, Kempa suddenly slipped and fell on wet, unreasonably slippery marble flooring. The lawsuit asserts that the degree of slipperiness and the presence of a foreign transitory substance were not open or obvious to ordinary passengers navigating the area. Despite having crew members stationed nearby who are trained to inspect high-traffic walkways and clean transitory hazards, Princess Cruise Lines failed to post warning signs, set up safety cones, or provide verbal cautions to approaching guests.
Princess Cruise Lines Accused of Notice Following Similar Slip and Fall Lawsuits Involving Piazza Deck Hazards
The legal filing contends that Princess Cruise Lines had actual and constructive knowledge that its polished Piazza flooring became dangerously hazardous when exposed to liquid substances. To demonstrate prior notice of the recurring hazard, the complaint highlights earlier passenger injury lawsuits involving identical flooring configurations within fleet atriums. The filing references Twomey v. Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd., a lawsuit arising from an October 2025 incident aboard the Sun Princess where a passenger slipped on a transitory substance on Deck 7 in the Piazza, followed by another guest stumbling on the exact same surface. The complaint also identifies Laden v. Princess Cruise Lines, Ltd., an action filed in the Central District of California involving a guest who slipped and fell on a foreign substance within the Piazza of the Enchanted Princess. Kempa asserts that shipboard safety meetings, internal audit logs, and maintenance reports gave Princess Cruise Lines clear warning that these hard interior surfaces posed severe risks to guest safety if left damp or unmonitored.
Complaint Alleges Negligent Selection of Deck Materials and Violation of International Maritime Safety Standards
Beyond failing to clean the spill, Kempa alleges that Princess Cruise Lines acted negligently in the overall design, construction, and material selection for Deck 7. The complaint states that the cruise line maintains full control over the custom design and shipbuilding specifications of its fleet, including the selection of marble flooring in high-traffic hubs prone to drink spills and tracked moisture. Princess Cruise Lines allegedly selected and approved floor materials that lacked an adequate coefficient of friction when wet, rather than installing slip-resistant coatings, marine-grade composite flooring, or recessed drainage systems. The filing further asserts that the cruise line failed to comply with international vessel safety regulations under the Safety of Life at Sea treaty, as well as marine safety standards established by ASTM International, the American National Standards Institute, and the International Safety Management Code.
Texas Resident Seeks Damages for Traumatic Brain Injury and Fractured Arm Following Cruise Ship Fall
The lawsuit sets forth three distinct legal counts against Princess Cruise Lines under general maritime law: negligent maintenance, negligent failure to warn, and negligent design, construction, and selection of materials. As a direct result of the fall, Kempa sustained extensive trauma, including a comminuted left olecranon fracture with intra-articular involvement, a comminuted and displaced left radial-head fracture, a severe upper-arm laceration, and a traumatic brain injury. Her injuries are alleged to be permanent and debilitating, resulting in ongoing medical costs, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity. Kempa is also seeking full financial recovery for the lost value of her disrupted vacation cruise and travel expenditures.
Contact a Cruise Ship Deck Slip and Fall Attorney if You Were Hurt in an Onboard Accident
Passengers who suffer severe slip and fall injuries on cruise ships due to slick deck surfaces, wet marble flooring, or lack of proper warning signs may be entitled to pursue compensation under federal maritime law. Cruise operators have a legal responsibility to maintain safe public areas and protect guests from known walkway hazards.
If you or a loved one sustained injuries during an onboard accident, our legal team is ready to evaluate your claim and help you protect your rights. Contact our cruise injury legal team to discuss your cruise ship accident case.
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.
