A Carnival cruise passenger says his finger was amputated after his balcony door unexpectedly slammed shut

• A cruise passenger is suing Carnival, saying a balcony door slammed shut and severed his finger.
• Cases involving injuries like this are "extremely common," one maritime lawyer told Insider.

A cruise passenger is suing Carnival after his balcony door "unexpectedly slammed shut with substantial force" and amputated his right index finger during a September 2022 cruise onboard the Carnival Horizon.

Carnival breached its duty to exercise reasonable care, including by failing to design the ship's balcony doors with a mechanism that would prevent the doors from slamming and injuring passengers, William Tuttle said in the suit, filed in Florida federal court this month.

The complaint, which seeks damages exceeding $75,000 and requests a trial by jury, listed eleven incidents in which Carnival passengers were injured by balcony doors in similar manners.

A Carnival spokesperson said the company is unable to comment on pending litigation.

Cases involving cruise passenger injuries caused by slamming doors are "extremely common" across cruise lines, maritime lawyer Michael Winkleman told Insider, estimating that he receives about one call per month from passengers dealing with similar injuries.

"Routinely passengers get a fair amount or even all of their fingers amputated," he said. "We deal with those cases all the time."

Cabin and balcony doors often slam shut due to air pressure-related issues, according to Winkleman. For example, if a balcony door is open at the same time as a cabin door it can create a vortex-like vacuum, as one Royal Caribbean passenger documented in a video posted on TikTok.

@kylephilippi Bought flew baby off the ship! #fypシ #cruise #royalcaribbean #oasisoftheseas #cruising #cruisevibes #cruisetok #cruiselife #cutebaby #babytok @Royal Caribbean ♬ original sound - Kyle philippi

Some cruise lines post warnings advising passengers not to have the cabin and balcony doors open at the same time, Winkleman said.

Balcony doors can also slam shut due to wind coming in from outside, maritime lawyer Glenn Holzberg told Insider. So next time you want to let in that ocean breeze — be careful not to let in a powerful gust.

To help prevent doors from opening or closing too quickly, cruise lines can use doorstops or dampeners, Winkleman said, noting that those mechanisms can often malfunction.

The Carnival spokesperson declined to comment types of door-closing mechanisms used on its cruise ships.

"This is such a frequent occurrence that it's just part of cruising," Winkleman said. "Passengers need to be extra vigilant opening and closing their cruise or balcony doors."

Do you work on a cruise ship? Have a tip or story to share? Email this reporter at htowey@insider.com