After several reports of skin rashes and serious disorders there could be a personal injury class action lawsuit against Carnival Cruise. Passengers on a cruises in 2011 and 2012 claim that they were exposed to bacteria on hot tubs aboard the ships.
The lawsuit makes allegations that passengers developed staph infections, MRSA bacterial infections, and cellulitis on their legs after soaking in hot tubs on the Carnival Cruise ship. There are three plaintiffs – Maria Oscoriocano of Georgia, Andrew Smith of Georgia, and Tab Lankford of Ohio. Oscorioncano and Smith were both passengers in May of 2012 on the Carnival Fascination, and Lankford was a passenger in December of 2011 on the Carnival Paradise.
Carnival filed a motion on June 18 to have the lawsuit dismissed, but US District Judge Cecilia Altonago denied the motion and the case will proceed.
Lankford has alleged that he contracted hot tub folliculitis from a hot tub on the Paradise cruise ship in 2011. His attorney claimed that the infection became very serious and Lankford came close to needing to have the leg amputated. Lankford’s leg turned black and he spent a week in the hospital receiving treatment that amounted to $70,000 in medical bills. He is still scarred from the severe flesh-eating infection.
After his harrowing experience, Lankford contacted the cruise line to discuss what had happened and report the problem. He alleges that he was informed by a guest relations specialist for Carnival that there were fifty other passengers from that same cruise who had similar experiences after using the hot tubs.
Maria Oscorioncano and Andrew Smith have said that they contracted MRSA and staphylococcus aureus on their 2012 cruise. The CDC has said that they have received no reports of people contracting MRSA through recreational water but that the possibility for this to happen does exist. A person can contract the infection if they come into contact with a surface or other contaminated objects.
Carnival has said that all of the allegations in the lawsuit are false and that the lawsuit is entirely meritless. A public relations spokesperson for Carnival said that all of the water-based amenities are monitored and maintained properly and that the water is routinely checked. “We take sanitation and cleanliness on our vessels very seriously and water quality is confirmed through periodic inspections by the U.S. Public Health service. Our guests may rest assured that these shipboard amenities are maintained via strict standards and practices to ensure a clean and safe environment.”
Sean Cleary, who is representing both Oscorioncano and Smith, says that these cases can be difficult because symptoms of the infections may not appear for several days and by the time passengers realize there is a problem, they have debarked and the problem cannot be reported on the ship.
If you or a loved one has gotten ill or contracted an infection from a cruise ship, contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.
