Jury Awards $300,000 to Nurse Injured on Carnival Ship

A federal jury in Miami has ordered Carnival Cruise Line to pay $300,000 to a California nurse who suffered severe injuries after being served excessive alcohol on one of its ships. The verdict, reached last Friday, found the company negligent in allowing Diana Sanders, 45, from Vacaville, to consume at least 14 shots of tequila over several hours, leading to her fall down a staircase.

The incident occurred on January 5, 2024, aboard the Carnival Radiance during a cruise departing from Los Angeles to Hawaii and Mexico. According to court documents, Sanders was served the shots between approximately 2:58 p.m. and 11:37 p.m. She then fell sometime between 11:45 p.m. and 12:20 a.m., waking up unconscious in a crew-only area at the bottom of the stairs. Her injuries included a concussion, persistent headaches, a possible traumatic brain injury, back and tailbone damage, bruising, and other ailments.

Sanders filed the lawsuit in early 2024, alleging that Carnival staff failed to monitor her condition or cut off service despite visible signs of intoxication. Her attorney, Spencer Aronfeld, presented evidence during the 18-month litigation, including 30 minutes of missing surveillance...