Personal Injury Law

Royal Caribbean loses suit, must pay $1.7 million over fall

By Lipcon, Margulies & Alsina, P.A.

Nine years after he slipped on stage during rehearsal, cruise ship trumpeter Steven Pavone won a $1.7 million verdict against Royal Caribbean for the fall. A Miami-Dade jury awarded the 40-year-old the money for the August 2001 accident, which was blamed on spilled oil from a fog machine.

Pavone's lawsuit claimed the shoulder injury ended a beloved trumpeting career, since he is only able to lift the instrument for about an hour at a time. The Miami Beach resident now works part-time as an usher at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center. "This whole thing has turned his life upside down," said Pavone's lawyer, Luis Perez.

Perez said Royal Caribbean asked jurors to award Pavone, who earned about $22,000 a year as a trumpeter, less than $130,000 for his injuries. As Pavone's lawyer, Perez said he expects to retain about 40 percent of the verdict amount. Royal Caribbean Cruises "feels the amount awarded is not supported by the evidence and are currently evaluating our appellate options," the cruise line said in a statement.

Full post as published by Cruise Ship Law on June 23, 2010 (boomark / email).