Injured passenger awarded $300,000 after a jury finds Carnival overserved her alcohol

ktla ^ | 04/15/2026 | David Fischer

[BenLurkin]

Carnival Cruise Line must pay $300,000 to a former passenger after a federal jury in South Florida found that the company was negligent in serving the woman more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down some stairs and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury.

The Miami federal jury decided last Friday in favor of Diana Sanders, a 45-year-old nurse from Vacaville, California.

...

According to the lawsuit, Sanders was a passenger aboard the Carnival Radiance on Jan. 5, 2024, when was served at least 14 shots between approximately 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. She experienced a fall some time between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. that caused her to suffer a concussion, headaches, a possible traumatic brain injury, back injuries, tailbone injuries, bruising and other injuries, the complaint said.

Aronfeld said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video from the time Sanders left the Casino bar until she was found unconscious in a crew-only area.

---

TOPICS: Travel
KEYWORDS:

[rktman]

Sort of like the swallowswell accuser. Too drunk to fight him off. Twice. Maybe rethink imbibing. Oh, and why not avoid ricky? At all costs.... #hetoo? 🤔😊👍

[Opinionated Blowhard]

According to the lawsuit, Sanders was a passenger aboard the Carnival Radiance on Jan. 5, 2024, when was served at least 14 shots between approximately 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. She experienced a fall some time between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. that caused her to suffer a concussion, headaches, a possible traumatic brain injury,

Let this be a lesson to cruise lines. If a passenger gets drunk and hurt on a cruise, throw her overboard so there is no evidence.

[packrat35]

15 drinks a day would make most people drink.

[PUGACHEV]

"15 drinks a day would make most people drink."

Yet, I've read comments on-line to the effect that the 15 drink per day limit makes the drink package not worth it.

[dfwgator]

15 drinks a day would make most people drink.

---

I’ll drink to that!

[V_TWIN]

I have my doubts.

There’s a reason cruise lines refuse to register their boats in the US.

Limits oversight by American agencies.

[dfwgator]

The US could then turn around and not allow the ships to dock in US ports until they comply.

[Hot Tabasco]

that caused her to suffer a concussion, headaches

After 14 shots of tequila, sounds like one heck of a hangover......

[PUGACHEV]

"throw her overboard so there is no evidence."

I was on a Carnival cruise last years and we took a tour of the bridge. The captain told us that there was a sort of radar which swept down the sides of the ship and detected anything thrown overboard, even a soda can. If a person is suspected of falling overboard, there is a button they push which automatically activates an emergency routine. A lighted die marker and floatation devices are released, the exact GPS coordinates are marked, and the ship's computer executes a turn to bring it back to the spot where the victim should be taking wind and the current into account.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Was she within the legal limits of US jurisdiction? What is it, twelve miles before they will turn on the slot machines and open the ship’s casino?

If she was outside of US waters, did they argue about standing in the US court system?

[fireman15]

She probably got the idea from this episode of the Andy Griffith Show!

[fireman15]

I was on a Carnival cruise last years and we took a tour of the bridge. The captain told us that there was a sort of radar which swept down the sides of the ship and detected anything thrown overboard, even a soda can. If a person is suspected of falling overboard, there is a button they push which automatically activates an emergency routine. A lighted die marker and flotation devices are released, the exact GPS coordinates are marked, and the ship's computer executes a turn to bring it back to the spot where the victim should be taking wind and the current into account.

I happen to know that is absolutely true. This was featured in the lost season of the Andy Griffith Show episode 2.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Dont be so quick to judge. She could also be a mud shark?

[fwdude]

Your schtick is tired, dude.

Tired, but highly accurate.

[Unassuaged]

No, inaccurate. Did you not see the pictures?

[fwdude]

An outlier.

Did you see these pictures?

The rare exception doesn't define the rule.

[verum ago]

Carnival.... hmmm....

Anyone want to guess the complexion of the litigant?

Her race is easily revealed by a simple Google search, and I'm guessing it's not what you're implying.

If identity politics over individual character and actions are so important to you, maybe you should go join Democratic Underground.

[fwdude]

We’ve been forced into identity politics and so have every right to make identity judgements.

I don’t belong at DU any more than you do.

[woodbutcher1963]

I got called for jury duty where the plaintiff was suing a pharma company for TWENTY MILLION. The plaintiff was partially blind due to taking a generic prescribed drug. They had already settled with Brooks Drugs and the prescribing doctor.

I was juror number 33 out of a pool of 120 ish. They never picked my number. However, it was interesting to go through the process. Out of a pool of 120 only me and one other guy wore a suit and tie. Then made sure the Plaintiff lawyers knew I was Conservative. So that they would not want me in the box.

They filled the jury plus the alternatives by mid afternoon and released the rest of us. The trial lasted two weeks. They awarded the lady/plaintiff the twenty million. The insurance company/pharma lawyers filed an appeal with the Federal Circuit court.

Senator Jean Shaheen’s husbands firm Gordon/Shaheen represented the plaintiff. There were at least fifteen lawyers in the Federal court that day in Concord, NH.
It was an interesting civics lesson.

[Unassuaged]

I am sure your algo feeds you what you want to see and I doubt you have all the information. Even if you are correct, your ASSuming is, well, a tired schtick.