Abeid-Saba v. Carnival Corp.

184 So. 3d 593, 2016 A.M.C. 460, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 1003, 2016 WL 314096
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJanuary 27, 2016
Docket13-2223 & 13-2092
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 184 So. 3d 593 (Abeid-Saba v. Carnival Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Abeid-Saba v. Carnival Corp., 184 So. 3d 593, 2016 A.M.C. 460, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 1003, 2016 WL 314096 (Fla. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

LAGOA, J.

Appellant, Denise Abeid-Saba (“Abeid-Saba”), appeals from a non-final order granting Appellees, Carnival Corporation, Carnival Corporation & pic, Costa Cruise Lines, Inc., Costa Crociere, S.p.A., and Joseph Farcus, Architect, P.A.’s (collectively, “Carnival”), motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens.

Appellants/Cross-Appellees, Carnival, and Appellee/Cross-Appellant, Geoffrey Scimone (“Scimone”), appeal from a non-final order granting in part and denying in part Carnival’s motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens, 1

For purposes of this appeal, we consolidate the respective orders on appeal in case number 13-2092 (“Abeid-Saba ”) and case number 13-2223 (“Scimone II ”).

For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the order in Abeid-Saba- and reverse in part and affirm in part the order in Scimone II.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Both Abeid-Saba and Scimone II involve claims brought by passengers aboard the Italian-flagged cruise ship, MS Costa Concordia (the “Concordia” or “Ship”). On- January 13, 2012, the Concordia departed Civitavecchia, Italy to begin a seven-day voyage to Savona, Italy. Both complaints allege that on January 13, 2012, the Ship ran aground -after-her Captain, Francesco Schettino, deviated from the planned course to- 'execute a- maneuver known as a “bow” or “sail-by salute.” 2 During the course of the maneuver, the Concordia collided with an underwater reef in Italian territorial waters causing catastrophic damage to her hull. This precipitated the evacuation of 3206 passengers, of whom approximately 100 were from the United States, and over 1000 crewmembers. Most evacuees were taken to nearby Giglio Island. Following the accident, a. number of Italian agencies commenced investigations to uncover the cause or causes of the accident.

Within weeks of the accident,. several passengers filed suit in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. See Scimone v. Carnival Cruise Lines, No. 12-3496 CA 4, 2012 WL 256473 (Fla. 11th Cir.Ct. Jan. 27, 2012) (“Scimone I ”). After the number of plaintiffs grew, however, plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed Scimone I, divided the passengers into two groups, and on July 5, 2012, re-filed two separate actions: Abeid-Saba and Scimone II.

Abeid-Saba involves fifty-seven plaintiffs, of whom five are United States residents. Scimone II involves fifty-two plaintiffs, of whom seventeen are United States residents. Both groups of plaintiffs alleged twelve identical counts 3 against five *598 named defendants: Carnival Corporation, a Panamanian Corporation with its principal place of business in Florida; Carnival Corporation & pic, incorporated in England and Wales with its principal place of business in London, England; Costa Cruise Lines, a Florida corporation with its principal place of business in Florida; Costa Crociere, S.p.A., a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & pic and an Italian company, that has its principal place of business in Genoa, Italy; and Joseph Far-cus, a Florida-licensed architect. 4

On September 26, 2012, Carnival removed Abeid-Saba and Scimone II from the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida under the Class Action Fairness Act, and subsequently filed a motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens. On February 15, 2013, the U.S. District Court remanded both cases to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit without resolving Carnival’s motion to dismiss oh the merits. 5 After remand, Carnival moved to dismiss both Abeid-Saba and Scimone II, again based on forum non conveniens.

A. THE TRIAL COURT’S ORDER IN ABEID-SABA

On May 20, 2013, the trial court in Abeidr-Saba conducted a hearing on Carnival’s motion to dismiss. In support of its motion,' Carnival submitted several sworn declarations. and exhibits. In opposition, Abeid-Saba submitted a single sworn affidavit, along with various news articles and documents, none of which were sworn. Subsequent to the hearing, the trial court issued an extensive and thorough order containing detailed factual findings and extensive legal analysis, in which the trial court applied the four-part forum non con-veniens test set out in Kinney System, Inc. v. Continental Insurance Co., 674 So.2d 86 (Fla.1996), as well as the Florida Supreme Court’s opinion in Cortez v. Palace Resorts, Inc., 123 So.3d 1085 (Fla.2013). The trial court also analyzed each of the twelve counts asserted by- the Abeid-Saba plaintiffs for purposes of evaluating the third prong of Kinney as modified by Cortez.

In its written order, the trial court found: (i) Italy is an adequate alternate forum; (ii) as to the private interest factors, Carnival presented positive evidence that material injustice would result if the ease were litigated in Florida; (iii) the public interest factors favored litigating the case in Italy; and (iv) the Abeid-Saba plaintiffs could reinstate them claims in Italy without undue burden. Carnival’s motion to dismiss was granted as to all plaintiffs — U.S. and non-U.S. alike.

B. THE TRIAL COURT’S ORDER IN SCIMONE II

The trial court in Scimone II conducted' a hearing on Carnival’s motion to dismiss on May 20, 2013, subsequent to which, it issued its order. The trial court found: (i) Italy is an adequate alternate forum; (ii) the private interest factors favored dismissal with respect to the non-U.S. plaintiffs, but not with respect to the U.S. plaintiffs; (iii) the public interest factors favored dismissal with respect to the non-U.S. plaintiffs, but not with respect to the *599 U.S. plaintiffs; and (iv) removing the case from Florida to Italy would be unduly burdensome to the U.S. plaintiffs because they would have to transport evidence from the United States to Italy and have the evidence translated.

Abeid-Saba appeals the order granting Carnival’s motion to dismiss. Scimorie and Carnival appeal from the order granting in part and denying in part Carnival’s motion to dismiss. Carnival argues both cases should be dismissed under the forum non conveniens doctrine. We agree. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the order in Abeid-Saba and affirm in part and reverse in part the order in Scimone II.

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

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Bluebook (online)
184 So. 3d 593, 2016 A.M.C. 460, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 1003, 2016 WL 314096, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/abeid-saba-v-carnival-corp-fladistctapp-2016.