Carnival Cruise Line must pay US$300,000 (NZ$507,445) to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found that the company was negligent in serving the woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down some stairs and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury.
The Miami federal jury decided in favour of Diana Sanders, a 45-year-old nurse from Vacaville, California.
"Taking on a corporate giant like Carnival is a massive undertaking, and I have enormous respect for my client’s resilience throughout this 18-month litigation," Sanders' attorney Spencer Aronfeld said in an email. "This case highlights the inherent dangers of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritise tips over safety."
A statement from Carnival Corporation said it respectfully disagrees with the verdict and believes there are grounds for a new trial and appeal, which it will pursue.
According to the lawsuit, Sanders was a passenger aboard the Carnival Radiance on January 5, 2024, when was served at least 14 shots between approximately 2.58pm and 11.37pm (local time). She experienced a fall some time between 11.45pm and 12.20am that caused her to suffer a concussion, headaches, a possible traumatic brain injury, back injuries, tailbone injuries, bruising and other injuries, the complaint said.
Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the Casino bar until she was found unconscious in a crew only area.
In a separate case that is still ongoing, the fiancée of a man who died on a cruise ship filed a wrongful death lawsuit last year against Royal Caribbean, alleging it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight.
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