US man awarded $29 million after hit by a sliding door

An Illinois man has been awarded $29 million dollars after he was hit in the head by a sliding door on a cruise ship and suffered a minor brain injury.

James Hausman was captured on CCTV footage being struck in the head by a sliding door when aboard the Holland America cruise ship.

A US District Court jury in Seattle awarded Hausman $29 million in damages including $22 million in punitive damages against Holland America, the Seattle Times reports.

In the footage, the sliding door fails to pick up Housman and smacks the side of his head; he grasps the injured spot immediately checking for blood.

The ship’s doctor initially stated Hausman suffered a facial contusion and chipped tooth and later diagnosed a concussion and ‘post-concussion’ syndrome.

According to Hausman’s attorney, Rick Friedman, a neurological test showed he suffered a minor traumatic brain injury and now suffers from vertigo and seizures.

Evidence produced during the trial also revealed dozens of other passengers have been injured in similar sliding-door incidents due to faulty sensor settings across the Holland America fleet.

Mr Friedman argued the doors were set to open and close faster than normal to save money on air-conditioning.

Holland America denied the allegations and refused to comment on the specifics of Hausman’s lawsuit.