Man hit by sliding door awarded $21.5m

A US businessman has been awarded $21.5 million (£14.1m) in damages after being hit by a sliding glass door on a cruise ship.

James Hausman, from Illinois, was on board a Holland America cruise ship as it approached Hawaii in 2011 when he was struck in the head, the Seattle Times reports.

CCTV footage of the incident shows the 61-year-old walking through the glass doors when they suddenly close and hit him on the side of the head. He is seen wincing in pain after the incident.

The ship’s doctor initially stated he had suffered facial contusion and a chipped tooth but later diagnosed that he had suffered concussion and post-concussion syndrome.

His lawyer Rick Friedman told the court that his client suffers from vertigo, memory loss and seizures as a result of the incident. He said later tests show he suffered a minor brain injury.

Friedman also presented evidence in court during the nine-day trial of other Holland Cruise passengers suffering injuries from sliding doors due to faulty sensor settings.

The verdict included $16.5 million (£10.8m) in punitive damages against the cruise line company and a further $5 million (£3.2m) awarded to Mr Hausman for past and future pain and emotional distress.

Mr Hausman returned home for the Christmas holidays at the end of November 2011 and later returned to complete his 280-day world cruise with Holland America.

"He still has trouble with things that would have been simple before," his lawyer added. "He was impacted in a very serious way."

Holland America, who had claimed in court the passenger had accidentally walked into the door, plan to appeal the verdict it says is "excessive".

"Holland America Line is committed to the safety and security of our guests and take all incidents very seriously," the cruise line said. "We have no comment regarding the specifics of this lawsuit."