Celebrity Cruises Sued After Guest Takes Champagne Cork to the Eye

Celebrity Cruises is facing a personal injury lawsuit filed by a guest who was injured when a champagne cork hit them in the eye. The guest filed suit in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida recently and is seeking more than $75,000 in compensation for damages from the eye injury. The guest was aboard the Celebrity Edge in February of 2023 when the injury occurred. The passenger claims that the champagne cork exploded “through a wire cage” while he was aboard the vessel and caused “pain, mental and emotional distress, and anguish.” He also claims that he incurred medical expenses and the loss of the ability to enjoy life, according to the lawsuit.

The plaintiff claims that Celebrity Cruises is negligent because it failed to store and transport the champagne bottle properly to prevent potential accidents when decorking. A champagne cork can exit the bottle at an estimated 30 mph. This could indeed cause a serious eye injury if the cork were to strike an unwitting bystander.

It is unclear whether or not another passenger was uncorking the bottle at the time of the incident, a Celebrity Cruises staffer, or the plaintiff himself. It is also unclear whether or not the passenger sought medical attention while aboard Celebrity Cruises directly following the incident.

Elements of negligence 

Celebrity Cruises is being blamed for mishandling the champagne bottle that caused a cork to fly into a passenger’s eye resulting in an apparently serious eye injury. There are two doctrines under the law that pertain to such a claim. The first doctrine would be causation. If any of the cruise ship’s employees mishandled the bottle causing the contents to become extremely pressurized, then the plaintiff can claim that the staff of the vessel is directly responsible for his injury.

Another potential direction the allegations can take is that of foreseeability. If it was foreseeable by the staff that the champagne bottle could uncork in a dangerous fashion, then the plaintiff can claim that the cruise ship’s employees didn’t exercise due care to ensure the safety of guests.

Damages 

In this case, damages would be related to the extent of the eye injury. If the plaintiff suffered a black eye that heals on its own, then he would not necessarily be entitled to a lot of money in compensation. But eye injuries are tricky and champagne bottles uncork at great speed. The plaintiff could suffer permanent injury to his eye such as reduced vision or even blindness. In that case, the plaintiff would be entitled to recover significant damages. Permanent injuries to a bodily organ are handsomely compensated in personal injury trials.

Talk to a Miami Cruise Ship Injury Attorney Today 

Michael F. Guilford, P.A. represents the interests of passengers who have been injured aboard cruise ship vessels. Call our Miami admiralty & maritime lawyers today to schedule a free consultation, and we can begin discussing how you can recover damages related to your medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced quality of life.

Source:

cruisehive.com/cruise-line-could-be-in-trouble-over-champagne-cork/119168