A senior cruise company executive is pursuing a multi-million pound compensation claim against P&O Cruises, alleging a slip on a wet toilet floor aboard one of its ships left her with a broken neck and a life-altering neurological condition, ending her career.
The Incident and the Claim
Kerry Middleton, a 52-year-old human resources chief, suffered the accident in October 2019 while aboard the MV Britannia, P&O's flagship vessel. The ship was docked in Cádiz, Spain, for a management meeting when Ms Middleton slipped inside a cabin toilet, fracturing part of a bone in her neck known as the spinous process.
While initial medical opinion suggested her acute neck pain should have resolved within six months, Ms Middleton was later diagnosed with a rare functional neurological disorder (FND). This condition disrupts communication between the brain and body, and her symptoms reportedly progressed to include hemiplegia (paralysis on one side), seizures, and a reliance on a wheelchair. She contends this has ended her working life, leading to a claim for £9.7 million in damages.
Contested Evidence and a Secret Film
The High Court case, heard before Judge Tim Moloney, has taken a contentious turn. Lawyers for Carnival Plc, P&O's parent company, have presented secret surveillance footage they argue undermines the severity of Ms Middleton's claimed disabilities.
The footage, shot through the kitchen window of her home on New Year's Eve 2024, allegedly shows her moving freely and cheerfully while preparing a family meal. Barrister James Todd, for Carnival, described her as having "completely normal mobility and looking pretty chirpy on top of it," a stark contrast to her reported need for a wheelchair.
Carnival's legal team does not currently allege fraud but suggests Ms Middleton may "catastrophise" her symptoms. They argue the FND was triggered not by the fall, but by work-related stress after she received a performance grading of 2.5, deemed "below standard," for which the company would not be liable.
Legal Battles and a Delayed Trial
While liability for the initial slip accident has been admitted by the company, the £9.7 million compensation figure is fiercely contested. Ms Middleton's barrister, Eliot Woolf, criticised the surveillance as an "ambush," highlighting invasions of privacy and selective filming. He firmly denied the performance grading was a trigger, stating her FND symptoms began manifesting beforehand.
Following a hearing where Judge Moloney granted permission for the surveillance footage to be included as evidence, the trial scheduled for late January was postponed. A new date is pending, as both sides prepare to analyse the implications of the newly admitted video evidence on this high-stakes personal injury claim.
