Skift Take
Passengers give up most of their rights when they buy a ticket and sign the contract of carriage, so it's difficult to see how they will prevail. Unless all they're after is more bad press for the accident-prone Carnival.
Carnival Corp. is seeking dismissal of lawsuits filed by passengers who endured days of difficult conditions aboard the disabled Triumph cruise ship.
The biggest case is a potential class action seeking to represent about 3,000 Triumph passengers. Carnival said in a motion filed last week in Miami federal court that its cruise tickets clearly state that passengers cannot file class actions against it.
Passenger lawyers have claimed that clause should be waived because Carnival was negligent in letting the ship sail because of past mechanical problems.
The Triumph was disabled by an engine fire Feb. 10 that stranded thousands of passengers onboard for days in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship was ultimately towed to Mobile for repairs.
Carnival also seeks dismissal of two other lawsuits filed by individual passengers.
Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Tags: accidents, carnival, lawsuits, triumph
Photo credit: Passengers leave the Carnival Triumph cruise ship after reaching the port of Mobile, Alabama. Lyle Ratliff / Reuters