Attorneys Andrew Waks and Jennifer Thompson obtained a favorable verdict for a 61 year old Michigan woman who tripped and fell over a threshold in a ship’s doorway while on a 2 day cruise to Bimini.
Because of the fall, the passenger fractured her wrist and had to undergo surgery to repair the damage.
The critical issue in the case was whether there were signs on the door warning of the presence of the threshold.
Fortunately, the incident was captured on video. Our firm presented the testimony of a forensic video expert who broke down the videotape frame by frame and told the jury that at least some of the signs the cruise company claimed were on the door probably were not.
The jury found the cruise company 65% at fault and awarded damages of $361,000 which resulted in a $235,000 net verdict to the Plaintiff after reduction for comparative negligence.
The highest offer made by the cruise company was $15,000.
It’s not unusual for the cruise companies to offer low settlements. Their hope is that some money – even a small amount – will make the problem go away. An experienced cruise ship injury lawyer can help passengers understand what they should be entitled to (in terms of recovery dollars) and how best to proceed throughout the entire legal process.