Woman served 14 shots of tequila on Carnival cruise awarded £220,000 in damages after brain injury
Diana Sanders, 45, was on board the Carnival Radiance in January 2024 when she was overserved alcohol during a nine-hour period.
A cruise passenger who has served at least 14 shots of tequila and then fell down some stairs has been awarded $300,000 in damages after she suffered a possible traumatic brain injury.
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Diana Sanders, 45, was on board the Carnival Radiance in January 2024 when she was overserved alcohol during a nine-hour period.
After leaving one of the ship's many bars, the nurse fell and suffered a concussion, headaches, back injuries and bruising.
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Staff later found her unconscious in a crew-only area.
A jury in Miami has now ruled in Ms Sanders' favour after concluding that the company had acted negligently.
During the trial, her attorney Spencer Aronfeld argued that the cruise ship's bartenders should have stopped serving her once she became visibly intoxicated.
He claimed Carnival "deliberately designs its vessels … to ensure that there are alcohol serving stations in every nook and cranny of the ship" to maximise profits.
The $300,000 reward is $250,000 more than had been requested during the trial.
Mr Aronfeld said: "Taking on a corporate giant like Carnival is a massive undertaking, and I have enormous respect for my client's resilience.
"This case highlights the inherent danger of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritise tips over safety."
He added: "Proving the over-service of alcohol is often difficult, as many people believe individuals should be solely responsible for their own consumption.
"Diana, admitted her personal responsibility; however, the core issue was Carnival's refusal to accept any corporate responsibility for serving someone who was clearly intoxicated."