As the passengers and crew of the marooned Carnival Cruise Lines ship Triumph are towed into the Port of Mobile, they are likely to be greeted by loved ones anxiously awaiting them, as well as reporters wanting to get the first scoop on what the conditions were really like aboard the Carnival Triumph.
Alongside their loved ones and reporters will be another group that has been chomping at the bit for the rancid ship to dock: lawyers.
Lawyers from around the area will likely be swarming around the stinking cruise ship in hopes of landing a passenger or, even better, a group of passengers wanting to sue Carnival Cruise Lines over the ordeal.
The stale ship is ripe for the picking for a class action lawsuit.
Over 3,000 passengers have been stranded aboard the ship with limited electricity, food, air conditioning and sanitation systems for more than five days following a fire on the last day of their three-night cruise.
Along with the inconvenience of the extended stay and the conditions to which they were subjected, the passengers could potentially have a list of health problems coupled with exposure to human waste and spoiled food. This could mean big payouts for passengers and their future lawyers alike.
Perhaps being in the bubble of law school gives me an exaggerated view, but it seems that when situations like these arise, the talk quickly transitions to potential lawsuits and how much will be gained or lost.
In this era of lawsuits, American culture has developed into a “sue first, ask later” society.
In this suing society, we assume that if we are done wrong, we should get a hefty sum of cash as a result.
We demand a certain level of service and attention, and anything short is egregious enough for us to haul the culprits into court. We would be hard-pressed to find another country with such a high sense of entitlement as our own.
In the months following the cruise liner’s arrival to port, we will hear arguments from both sides over if passengers sue, how much they should sue for, and then arguments over the amount they receive.
Some may say the passengers’ asking price shows their greed. Others may say that Carnival had it coming with the amount of profit they make and that they should have spent more money on safety precautions.
As much as we would like to cast a bad light on one of the parties, the true bad seed lies in each of us as well.
For instance, I could write and point fingers all day regarding the level of greed, entitlement and self interest that we see in our country and especially in court, but if I was completely honest, I must admit I wouldn’t mind being one of the attorneys awaiting the sour passengers’ arrival and the sweet checks that would later follow.
Anna Rush is a second-year law student from Hattiesburg. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 2011. Follow her on Twitter @annakrush.
