Royal Caribbean is facing a negligence lawsuit from a Texas passenger who claims she suffered a traumatic brain injury and spinal injuries after an access panel allegedly fell from behind a toilet and struck her on the head aboard Harmony of the Seas.
LeAnn Carpenter filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida on 11th August 2026, seeking more than $75,000 in damages and requesting a jury trial.
The case relates to an incident during a seven-night Harmony of the Seas cruise from Port Canaveral in May 2025.
According to the complaint, Carpenter stopped to use a passenger restroom before attending a performance in the Royal Theater. While she was using the toilet, an access panel positioned behind it allegedly became dislodged without warning.
The panel is said to have struck Carpenter in the head with enough force to cause her to fall to the floor.
Her legal representatives, Aronfeld Trial Lawyers, allege that the panel should have been properly closed and secured to the wall.
The panel provided crew access to plumbing and other utilities located behind the toilet, meaning it could be opened for inspections, servicing, repairs and maintenance.
Carpenter’s lawsuit alleges that Royal Caribbean failed to ensure the panel was safely secured before passengers were allowed to use the restroom.
Royal Caribbean had not publicly commented on the allegations at the time of writing.
Passenger Sent Ashore For Medical Tests
Carpenter was given medical attention aboard Harmony of the Seas shortly after the incident.
According to the lawsuit, she experienced an altered state of awareness and memory loss following the impact. She was taken by wheelchair to the ship’s medical centre, where she was examined by a shipboard doctor, monitored by medical staff and given intravenous therapy.
She was subsequently sent ashore in Cozumel, Mexico, where further testing, including CT imaging of her head and skull, was carried out at Cozumel International Hospital.
It is not clear from the available information whether Carpenter was formally medically evacuated from the vessel or whether Cozumel was already a scheduled port of call.
Carpenter claims she has required continuing medical care since returning home, including diagnostic imaging, physical therapy, evaluations and further testing.
She says she was ultimately diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury accompanied by cognitive and psychological symptoms.
The symptoms alleged in the lawsuit include memory problems, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and a fear of driving.
Carpenter also claims she suffered spinal injuries resulting in continuing pain and other symptoms that have required further assessment and treatment.
The lawsuit contains three negligence counts against Royal Caribbean, covering alleged failures to remedy the hazardous condition, warn Carpenter about it and liabil
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