MIAMI – (June 19, 2020) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has reinstated a jury verdict for a Royal Caribbean cruise ship passenger, represented by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers.  On appeal, it was determined that the district court erred in its decision to overturn the jury verdict in the case (Edgardo Lebron vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD – Case No. 1:16cv24687) due to insufficient evidence.  The judgement of the district court has been reversed and the jury verdict in the amount of $667,005.75 has been reinstated.

“This was a long and hard-fought battle, and we are grateful that justice has been served,” said plaintiff’s lead counsel, Spencer Aronfeld.

Lebron, a resident and citizen of Puerto Rico, fell onboard Royal Caribbean’s, Adventure of the Seas while ice skating with his daughters in 2016. Royal Caribbean failed to properly maintain the ice-skating rink, which resulted in there being a gouge in the ice that caused or contributed to his fall. It also lacked adequate safety features to prevent the fall, causing him serious bodily injury, resulting in pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, hospital expenses, medical and nursing home care and treatment.

In 2018, a Miami-Dade County jury returned a verdict against Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD in the amount of $42,005.75 for Mr. Lebron’s medical care and hospital costs, and $625,000.00 in damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life and future losses.

Based on all of the testimony, the Appellate Court ruled that the district court erred in holding Mr. Lebron presented insufficient evidence for a reasonable jury to find Royal Caribbean had constructive notice of the gouges in the ice. Because Mr. Lebron presented sufficient evidence to prevail on both theories of negligence—that Royal Caribbean negligently maintained the ice and negligently provided Mr. Lebron a skate with a broken lace.

The incident was a direct result of the faulty skating equipment and the deterioration and poor conditions of the ice-skating rink.  The defendant (Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD) failed to warn our client and others of the dangerous conditions present in the ice-skating rink and take the proper precautions for the safety of its passengers.