Bluebeard's Castle, St. Thomas USVI.
A three-story fall in 2023 that resulted in multiple broken ribs and a detached ear prompted the owner of a unit at Bluebeard's Castle to sue for damages.
According to court documents, Robert Turner says that one night in October 2023, he was on a parking pad in the commons area of the hotel, helping someone exit the back seat of a vehicle. It was raining that evening, and according to the lawsuit, there was debris on the ground. While providing assistance to the other person, Mr. Turner claims to have slipped. A step backwards caused him to trip over a short raised barrier and fall.
According to the complaint, Mr. Turner plunged the equivalent of three stories, breaking nine ribs in the process. A laceration to his head reportedly required 10 staples to close. He also had to undergo “repair of his left ear to reattach it to his head,” the lawsuit alleges. Mr. Turner has reportedly been left permanently disabled following the fall.
Those who own the property and are responsible for its upkeep are at fault, Mr. Turner's lawsuit argues. The short curb was wholly inadequate to protect against a drop of that height – over 30 feet, according to the complaint. Great Vistas LLC, owner of the property's common areas, is listed as a defendant, as is Capital Vacation Resorts Management II, and three associations of villa and condominium owners.
Mr. Turner is seeking compensatory damages for his claimed ongoing medical expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of income, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. As of press time, defendants have not yet filed a reply.
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