A woman is suing the city of Long Beach for injuries suffered after she fell over a railing on the Queen Mary and descended into the water nearly 100 feet below, allegedly because of “unstable and inherently dangerous conditions” at the longtime seaside attraction.
Lisa Wallerstein filed the suit Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. In addition to the city, she names Save the Queen LLC, which holds the lease for the city-owned ship, and the vessel’s principal lender, Garrison Investment Group LP. The suit alleges negligence and premises liability and seeks unspecified damages.
A representative for the Long Beach City Attorney’s Office did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
According to the complaint, Wallerstein attended an event at the Queen Mary last Sept. 13. She was sitting on the decking side of the railings facing the Observation Bar when she tried to reposition herself so she could climb down the deck without stepping on the anchor box, the suit explains.
Wallerstein reached over to grasp the railing with her left hand, but lost her grip and fell over the railing “due to unstable and inherently dangerous conditions present at the Queen Mary,” the suit states.
Wallerstein fell feet-first into the water, about 100 feet below, the suit states.
“Ms. Wallerstein, lucky to be alive, was retrieved from the water by emergency personnel who transported her to the hospital, where she was treated for multiple right arm fractures as well as other debilitating injuries,” according to the lawsuit.
The ship management was aware that other visitors “have had similar incidents” on board the ship, the suit states.
The defendants had an obligation to block off or warn guests of hazards, “specifically the high deck area, the low railings, the unsafe stairs and other dangerous conditions which caused or contributed to plaintiff’s fall,” the suit alleges.
