NorCal Nurse Awarded $300K After Cruise
- A NorCal nurse who was reportedly served 15 shots on a cruise ship has been awarded $300,000 by a jury. - The nurse fell down stairs and into a crew-only area after heavy drinking, according to trial testimony. - The verdict underscores liability concerns for cruise operators and crew conduct policies. (patch.com)
A Miami federal jury ordered Carnival Cruise Line to pay $300,000 to Diana Sanders, a 45-year-old Vacaville nurse who said crew members kept serving her tequila before a serious fall. (abcnews.com) Jurors found Carnival negligent after hearing that Sanders was served at least 14 shots of tequila on the Carnival Radiance on January 5, 2024, during a three-day sailing from Los Angeles to Baja California. The verdict was entered after the jury ruled on April 10, 2026. (insurancejournal.com) Court filings said the drinks were served between about 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. at six bars on the ship. Sanders later fell down stairs around midnight and suffered what news reports described as a possible traumatic brain injury. (cruise.blog) (cbsnews.com) The case turned on a basic rule in alcohol service: bars are expected to stop serving customers who are visibly intoxicated. Sanders’ lawsuit said she was slurring her speech, had alcohol on her breath and acted belligerently while crew members continued to serve her. (aol.com) Cruise lines also sell unlimited-drink packages that can collide with those service rules. Sanders and two friends had bought Carnival’s “Cheers!” package, which allows up to 15 alcoholic drinks in a 24-hour period. (hawaiitribune-herald.com) Carnival said it disagrees with the verdict and plans to seek a new trial and appeal. The company told reporters it believes there are grounds to challenge the judgment. (insurancejournal.com) Sanders’ lawyer, Spencer Aronfeld, argued at trial that the ship’s bar staff ignored obvious signs of intoxication over hours of service. He said after the verdict that the case “should have” settled earlier, according to multiple reports. (globalnews.ca) (abcnews.com) The award does not end the case yet, but it puts Carnival’s bar-service records and crew decisions at the center of any next round in court. For now, the jury’s answer was that the cruise line shares responsibility for what happened after those shots were poured. (insurancejournal.com)
