Florida judge rules in favor of Carnival Cruise Lines regarding Costa Concordia cruise disaster

In a recent release from the Associated Press, and carried by the Washington Post among other news sources…

A judge in Florida has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Italian businesses against Miami-based Carnival Corp. over the fatal capsizing of a cruise ship off Italy’s coast.

U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenbaum agreed with Carnival that the lawsuit should be filed in Italy, not the U.S. Up to 1,000 businesses on the island where the Costa Concordia ship ran aground had sought to sue Carnival in U.S. courts because it is Costa’s parent company.

Still pending in the U.S. are several lawsuits filed on behalf of hundreds of passengers on the Concordia. The January 13 disaster claimed 32 lives and resulted in a criminal investigation of the ship’s captain.

Carnival wants the passenger cases shifted to Italy. Motions have also been filed to consolidate the cases before a single judge.

Read the article here at the WashingtonPost.com

Many lawsuits filed by passengers apparently still hang in the balance of a judges decision. Cases like these show how difficult, how detailed and how far-reaching lawsuits can be when filed against the various cruise lines.

Examples like these underscore the reasoning behind hiring tough, experienced and knowledgeable cruise ship accident attorneys. Understanding and navigating maritime law, especially when dealing with international courts, is immensely valuable for a client. Most certainly, clients should not go it alone.

At Waks & Barnett, our maritime attorneys have 25 years of successful experience representing, defending and making whole the clients we serve.

About Waks & Barnett, P.A.
Based in Miami, Waks & Barnett attorneys work with clients in Florida, throughout the United States and around the world. The firm’s attorneys practice in the areas of personal injury and wrongful death, with a specialization in admiralty and maritime cases.