A 23-year-old woman has filed a lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Lines after sustaining a serious injury during a Caribbean cruise in the Bahamas. Hannah Smith lost both her legs when she went on the Carnival cruise last year to celebrate her graduation from Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.
What did Hannah Smith say in her lawsuit against the Carnival cruise?
According to Smith’s lawsuit, the injury happened as passengers were disembarking the catamaran-style vessel at the end of their excursion. At that time, the vessel returned to Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, and stood next to a pier as passengers started to exit, the lawsuit states, per LiveNOW from Fox.
As the boat was disembarking, Smith said she needed to use the restroom. That’s when one of the employees allegedly told Smith she could use the water near the dive platform as a restroom. As she went into the water while the boat was disembarking, Smith said she was sucked into a spinning propeller and repeatedly cut by the device.
Smith’s friend, Brooklyn Pitre, who joined her on the cruise, spoke about what happened during the terrifying incident. Pitre told WREG last year that Smith went into the water and disappeared for about three seconds.
“And she was like, get me. And me and another woman had met on the cruise ship during the excursion with us. We pulled her out, and then there was like a lot of blood in the water,” Pitre told WREG.
The 23-year-old Memphis native was then rushed to a hospital in Nassau. After undergoing multiple emergency surgeries there, Smith was airlifted to Miami for more treatment. Her condition, however, worsened, and she was forced to have both legs amputated, the lawsuit states.
Smith added in her lawsuit that excursion employees pressured her into consuming a large amount of alcohol and marijuana before the vessel returned to Nassau. She also said the vessel was not properly docked and that the crew was untrained.
Attorney Keith S. Brais vows to bring justice for Smith
“We are fully committed to pursuing justice on her behalf and holding accountable those responsible for the sequence of unsafe decisions that resulted in this life-altering tragedy,” Brais wrote in a statement, per LiveNOW from Fox. “Our client, Hannah Smith, was a bright, accomplished young woman celebrating a tremendous academic milestone when she suffered these horrific injuries.”
What is Carnival saying to defend itself from Smith’s lawsuit?
While the lawsuit states that Carnival sold and advertised the excursion, Carnival is not taking responsibility for the injury. The company said the tour companies involved in the excursion are not owned by Carnival.
Smith said she has experienced physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder and other difficulties since the injury.