Former P&O HR Executive Seeks $13M After Alleged Ship Bathroom Slip That Led to Disability Claim

Kerry Middleton, a former human resources executive at P&O Cruises, has filed a claim seeking just over $13 million from P&O and parent company Carnival PLC after an accident aboard the cruise ship MV Britannia in 2019 that she says left her disabled and unable to work.

Middleton, 52, alleges she slipped in a shipboard bathroom while the vessel was in port at Cádiz, Spain, during a management meeting. She says the fall fractured the spinous process in her neck; doctors initially expected the injury to heal within approximately six months. Middleton was later diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), a condition that can affect how the brain controls movement and function.

GettyThe Port of Cadiz in Spain

Dispute Over Extent and Cause of Disability

While P&O Cruises and Carnival PLC accept liability for the fall itself, they are contesting both the severity of Middleton’s ongoing disability and the level of damages she seeks. Middleton’s legal team says specialists anticipate some improvement following multidisciplinary treatment but maintain that she will not be able to return to any form of employment.

In court, Carnival’s lawyers introduced covert surveillance footage they said was recorded at Middleton’s home on New Year’s Eve 2024. Counsel James Todd told judges the video showed Middleton moving around her kitchen with "completely normal mobility" and appearing "cheerful," arguing this undermines her claims of severe disability.

Naomi Baker/GettyP&O Cruises' 'MV Britannia' cruise ship

Defense Argument: Carnival also contends that Middleton’s FND was not triggered by the onboard fall but instead followed workplace events, specifically being informed she received a 2.5 performance grading—an element the defense says is a potential psychological stressor unrelated to the accident.

Legal Status and Next Steps

A prior judgment has already found P&O Cruises liable for the fall itself. The current proceedings are focused on the appropriate level of compensation. A judge has permitted the surveillance footage to be admitted as evidence, and a new trial to determine damages has been scheduled for a later date that has not yet been announced.

Neither P&O Cruises nor Carnival PLC immediately responded to requests for comment. Middleton’s counsel has argued that while treatment could bring some recovery, it would not restore her capacity to work.

Key Facts: The incident occurred in 2019 in Cádiz, Spain; Middleton later received an FND diagnosis; surveillance footage from late 2024 is at the center of the dispute over the severity of her condition; the companies accept liability for the fall but contest the scale of damages.