Man files lawsuit after scalding his feet on cruise ship

Jason · August 23, 2001

A vacationing Long Island man may no longer be footloose and fancy-free after burning his feet on the scorching deck of a cruise ship, a new $6 million lawsuit claims.

Three years later, Jeffrey Mizel is still suffering — and even had to have his big toe amputated — because of the burns he sustained aboard the Celebrity Silhouette, he charges in a Brooklyn Federal Court lawsuit he filed against the cruise line.

Mizel, 66, and his wife, Elizabeth, were on a European cruise with friends in July 2014 when the ship docked in Greece.

“It was very hot, so I went off the ship and went right back on again,” he recalled. “I decided, ‘I’m going swimming.’ ”

Mizel, who suffers from neuropathy-induced nerve damage in his feet, used a golf cart to get around the ship and parked it near the pool, walking the 10 or 12 feet to the water.

At first, he didn’t realize anything was wrong.

“Then my wife and our friend came, and they came in the pool with me and said, ‘Man, wasn’t that hot?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know,” and I looked at my feet . . . From toe to heel, the skin was just hanging off.”

Because of his medical condition, “he had no idea” how hot the deck was, said Mizel’s lawyer, Michael Goldman.

Mizel, a father of two and grandfather of four who works for an LED light manufacturer, was quickly taken to the ship’s doctor. The injuries were so bad, the cruise line offered to fly him to shore, he said, but he stuck it out to avoid ruining the trip for his wife and pals.

Since then Mizel has struggled with infections and hospitalizations that eventually resulted in the loss of his toe. At one point, doctors even considered amputating part of his lower leg, he said.

Though he still works, Mizel was forced to take on a business partner to share the load and has to use crutches.

He says Celebrity Cruises should have at least warned passengers about the super-heated deck.

“There was no way to think it would be that hot,” he said. “As a matter of fact I took off a pair of shoes and left them in the cart to go to the pool. If they had just given a hint that it was that hot…”

Celebrity X Cruises declined to comment.

By Kathianne Boniello, New York Post
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

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Jan115 · May 18, 2012

Hmmm - July in Greece. Yeah the deck is going to be steamy. OK, am I the only one who thinks that these lawsuits have gotten out of hand? I'll throw him a bone, though. Maybe it was his first cruise and didn't know how hot pool decks can actually get. Either way, I would think that someone who can't feel anything on the bottom of his feet would keep his feet protected no matter what the case. He says he didn't want to go to the hospital so he wouldn't ruin the vacation for his family. If that were my husband with roasted skin dangling off his feet, I would have insisted they get him off the ship ASAP!

JSinapijr · February 28, 2018

Being a cruise industry professional and a former Employee of Celebrity, I do know that they have signs and state in safety videos, etc that shoes should be worn on the deck because the non-slip material used on the ships gets extremely hot. This material used is also required by law for the cruise lines. I am no attorney, but I think this case might not go too far!

Jason · August 23, 2001

Seems like common sense to me!

Shari2 · February 6, 2003

Not to take away from his suffering, but I also think with his own knowledge about his neuropathy he would have keep his feet covered. My hubby has diabetes related neuropathy, and would be more careful, I know. Feel bad for this man, but have doubts that he will win the lawsuit.

GottaCruz · May 27, 2003

Hmmm, just a thought. Could we sue the cruise lines for causing a weight gain too? I feel sorry for the guy but like everyone else said, with his previous neuropathy condition, shouldn’t he have been aware of what could happen? And to refuse immediate treatment?? I don’t think he will win his lawsuit but I do feel sorry for him.

scalise12 · September 14, 2010

On 5/13/2018 at 10:37 PM, Jason said:

A vacationing Long Island man may no longer be footloose and fancy-free after burning his feet on the scorching deck of a cruise ship, a new $6 million lawsuit claims.

Three years later, Jeffrey Mizel is still suffering — and even had to have his big toe amputated — because of the burns he sustained aboard the Celebrity Silhouette, he charges in a Brooklyn Federal Court lawsuit he filed against the cruise line.

Mizel, 66, and his wife, Elizabeth, were on a European cruise with friends in July 2014 when the ship docked in Greece.

“It was very hot, so I went off the ship and went right back on again,” he recalled. “I decided, ‘I’m going swimming.’ ”

Mizel, who suffers from neuropathy-induced nerve damage in his feet, used a golf cart to get around the ship and parked it near the pool, walking the 10 or 12 feet to the water.

At first, he didn’t realize anything was wrong.

“Then my wife and our friend came, and they came in the pool with me and said, ‘Man, wasn’t that hot?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know,” and I looked at my feet . . . From toe to heel, the skin was just hanging off.”

Because of his medical condition, “he had no idea” how hot the deck was, said Mizel’s lawyer, Michael Goldman.

Mizel, a father of two and grandfather of four who works for an LED light manufacturer, was quickly taken to the ship’s doctor. The injuries were so bad, the cruise line offered to fly him to shore, he said, but he stuck it out to avoid ruining the trip for his wife and pals.

Since then Mizel has struggled with infections and hospitalizations that eventually resulted in the loss of his toe. At one point, doctors even considered amputating part of his lower leg, he said.

Though he still works, Mizel was forced to take on a business partner to share the load and has to use crutches.

He says Celebrity Cruises should have at least warned passengers about the super-heated deck.

“There was no way to think it would be that hot,” he said. “As a matter of fact I took off a pair of shoes and left them in the cart to go to the pool. If they had just given a hint that it was that hot…”

Celebrity X Cruises declined to comment.

By Kathianne Boniello, New York Post
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
For more cruise news and articles go to https://www.cruisecrazies.com

View full article

Oh Man, what a baby, You should always wear something on your feet. If I was Celebrity Lawyers I would laugh right out of the court room, because of the stupidity on your behalf..... It's not the cruise line fault, it's yours, you where in Greece and the weather there is really HOT...... OH WELL!!