| New lawsuit filed against Carnival

Passengers of the capsized Costa
Concordia have updated their
complaint and plan to make
another claim alleging wrongful
death on behalf of the victims.
LAWYERS filed a new claim in Miami this
week alleging product liability, defective ship
design and “a pattern and practice of
concealing and/or delaying notification of lifethreatening
situations to passengers”.
The lawsuit seeks compensation of at least
US$2 million per passenger and US$590
million in punitive damages.
Another claim alleging wrongful death “on
behalf of several other parties” will be filed
shortly, according to a news release from the
two American law firms and an Italian firm
working on the case.
Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik & Associates,
Proner & Proner and Codacons filed an earlier
suit in Jan in Miami.
According to the release, the new lawsuit
alleges that Carnival was aware that the ship’s
hull design and power systems were defective,
citing the Feb 2010 accident when the Costa
Europa hit a pier in Egypt, killing three crew
members and injuring four, and the Nov 2010
stranding of the Carnival Splendor off the coast
of Mexico after it lost power.
The action, filed in State Court before the
Florida Circuit Court, is against Carnival
Corporation, Carnival Corporation & plc, Costa
Cruise Lines and Costa Crociere SPA.
It also makes claims for maritime negligence,
professional negligence of the ship’s architect,
intentional failure to abandon ship, intentional
failure to notify authorities, intentional
infliction of emotional distress, negligent
retention (by the cruise line of Captain
Schettino), fraudulent misrepresentation and
fraudulent inducement.