Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found the company was negligent in serving more than a dozen shots of tequila to a woman before she fell and suffered a possible brain injury.
Miami — Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found the company was negligent in serving a woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down some stairs and suffered a possible brain injury.
A federal jury in Miami decided last Friday in favor of Diana Sanders, a 45-year-old nurse from Vacaville, California.
“Taking on a giant corporation like Carnival is a monumental undertaking, and I have great respect for my client’s ability to persevere throughout this 18-month lawsuit,” Spencer Aronfield, Sanders’ attorney, said in an email. “This case highlights the dangers inherent in all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritize tips over safety.”
A statement from Carnival said it disagreed with the ruling and believed there were grounds for a new trial and appeal to follow.
According to the lawsuit, Sanders was a passenger on the Carnival Radiance on January 5, 2024, when he received at least 14 shots between approximately 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. She suffered a fall sometime between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m., causing her to suffer a concussion, headache, traumatic brain injury, back injury, tailbone injury, bruises and other injuries, the complaint said.
Jurors received evidence of a 30-minute surveillance video from the time Sanders left the casino bar until she was found unconscious in a crew-only area, Aronfield said.
In a separate case that is still ongoing, the fiancée of a man who died on a cruise ship has filed a lawsuit Wrongful death lawsuit last year against Royal Caribbean, alleging that it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was responsible for his death after crew members threw him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight.