WIBC Radio in Indianapolis recently reached out to Cohen & Malad, LLP partner and class action attorney Scott Gilchrist, for comment on the legal issues surrounding passenger conditions on the fire-damaged Carnival Cruise Line ship the “Triumph”. On February 10, 2013 three days after departing for a four-day cruise to Mexico, the Triumph experienced an engine fire which disabled the ship.
According to media reports, the fire damage affected the plumbing, electrical and sanitation systems. Passengers reported a lack of working plumbing, which meant that toilets could not be flushed, causing sewage overflows throughout the vessel. Passengers also reported being forced to sleep on the decks of the ship while tug boats pulled the ship to a harbor in Alabama, as well as being given spoiled and rotting food.
Some passengers who were aboard the Triumph have sought legal action to recover damages as a result of this incident.