FORT LAUDERDALE — A Florida couple is suing Celebrity Cruise Lines after one of them suffered a severe burn while on a vacation cruise.
Stephen Beloff and his wife, Maryiln, filed a negligence complaint against Celebrity Cruises, Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on Oct. 31. They are asking for damages and losses of more than $1 million as well as attorneys' fees and court costs.
According to the suit, Stephen Beloff's injuries occurred during the couple's December 2017 cruise. The couple had taken a nine-day cruise through the Caribbean on the Celebrity Silhoutte cruise ship. On the seventh day of the cruise, Stephen Beloff sustained "severe burns to his left hand when he was directed by a ship employee to pick up a scalding hot plate from a breakfast station located in one of the ship's restaurants."
Since the incident, Beloff claims that he has experienced extreme pain, emotional and mental distress and the inability to use the injured hand. According to the filing, Beloff was treated on the ship by the on-ship physician who confirmed that he had suffered first-degree burns on the "anterior area of his left fingers". In addition to Beloff's injury, the couple claims that they were not able to enjoy the remainder of the cruise as a result of the Stephen Beloff's continuous pain.
After the cruise, Beloff sought additional treatment for the injury, for which he was given physical therapy. Over the course of several months, the stiffness in his left hand continued despite the therapy. In July this yer, Beloff was told that physical therapy would no longer benefit him and that the future prognosis of his injury was "unclear," court documents say.
The lawsuit contends that as a result of the injury, the couple, who "intended to enjoy their retirement years after working for decades for Merrill Lynch (Mr. Beloff) and as a teacher (Mrs. Beloff)" cannot. It adds that "the injuries Mr. Beloff sustained as a result of Celebrity’s negligence have severely limited and negatively impacted the Beloffs’ lifestyle and enjoyment. They can no longer engage in the same outdoor activities and sports together as they had prior to the injury, and their general enjoyment in life has been severely impacted."