SOUTH FLORIDA — A federal jury in South Florida found Carnival Cruise Line negligent for serving a passenger more than a dozen shots of tequila before she fell down a staircase and suffered a possible traumatic brain injury. The Miami jury awarded Diana Sanders $300,000 in damages, exceeding the $250,000 she had requested at trial.

The verdict assigned 60% of the fault to Carnival and 40% to Sanders. Sanders, a 45-year-old nurse from Vacaville, California, was a passenger aboard the Carnival Radiance on January 5, 2024, when she was served at least 14 shots of tequila.

Between approximately 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m. that night, Sanders fell down a staircase, sustaining a concussion, headaches, back and tailbone injuries, bruising, and a possible traumatic brain injury.

According to court filings, crew members had a reasonable duty of care toward Sanders, including to supervise and assist passengers who Carnival knew or should have known were engaging or were likely to engage in behavior potentially dangerous to themselves or others aboard the vessel. Her attorney said jurors were presented with evidence of 30 minutes of missing surveillance video covering the period from when Sanders left the Casino bar until she was found unconscious in a crew-only area.

In an email following the verdict, attorney Spencer Aronfeld said that taking on a corporate giant like Carnival was a massive undertaking and that he had enormous respect for his client's resilience throughout the 18-month litigation. Aronfeld also said the case highlights the inherent dangers of all-inclusive drink packages, which encourage excessive alcohol consumption and pressure underpaid servers to prioritize tips over safety.

In a company statement, Carnival Corporation said it respectfully disagrees with the jury's verdict and will pursue a new trial and appeal. The company did not address the specific evidence presented at trial.