Heller v. Carnival Corp.

191 F. Supp. 3d 1352, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 183866, 2016 WL 6909163
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 16, 2016
DocketCASE NO. 15-24464-CIV-ALTONAGA/O’Sullivan
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 191 F. Supp. 3d 1352 (Heller v. Carnival Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heller v. Carnival Corp., 191 F. Supp. 3d 1352, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 183866, 2016 WL 6909163 (S.D. Fla. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER

CECILIA M. ALTONAGA, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

THIS CAUSE came before the Court on Defendant, Carnival Corporation’s (“Carnival[’s]”) Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint (“Motion”) [ECF No. 25] filed January 12, 2016. Plaintiff, Cheryl Heller (“Plaintiff’) filed a Response ... (“Response”) [ECF No. 31] on January 28, 2016; and Defendant filed its Reply ... (“Reply”) [ECF No. 40] on February 8, 2016. The Court has carefully reviewed the parties’ written submissions, the record, and applicable law.

I. BACKGROUND1

On January 1, 2016, Plaintiff was a passenger aboard Carnival’s ship, the Carnival Magic. (See Compl. [ECF No. 1] ¶ 12). Carnival offered passengers aboard the Carnival Magic, including Plaintiff, the opportunity to participate in various shore excursions, including an excursion entitled “See Nassau the Fun Way on a Segway!” (“Segway Tour”). (See id. ¶¶ 11,14). Carnival arranged for, sponsored, recommended, operated, marketed and/or sold the Segway Tour. (See id. ¶ 19). The Seg-way Tour, as well as other shore excursions available to passengers of the Carnival Magic, was advertised to passengers via Carnival’s website and promotional materials, including brochures bearing Carnival’s logo. (See id. ¶ 13). Onboard the Carnival Magic, Carnival had an excursion desk that provided passengers with recommendations for excursions and sold tickets for the excursions, including the Segway Tour. (See id. ¶¶ 15, 16). Plaintiff purchased a ticket for the Segway Tour, and Carnival represented to Plaintiff: (1) the Segway Tour was safe; (2) the, Segways were easy to operate; and (3) the Segways would pose no safety issues for Plaintiff. (See id. ¶¶ 16,18).

Carnival handled the arrangements regarding the Segway Tour, including charging for the tour, collecting payment, and providing receipt of purchase, but did not inform Plaintiff the tour was operated by the Defendants; Caribbean Segway Tours, LLC (“Caribbean Segway Tours”) and/or XYZ Corporation(s) (together, “Excursion Entities”). (See id. ¶ 22). Prior to Plaintiffs actual participation in the Segway Tour, Plaintiff interacted exclusively with Carnival regarding the tour. (See id.). Indeed, Carnival recommended passengers not engage in excursions not sold through Carnival. (See id.). Based on Carnival’s actions, Plaintiff believed the Excursion Entities’ personnel were the employees and/or agents of Carnival, and she relied on this fact in choosing to participate in the Seg-[1356]*1356way. Tour.- (See id. ¶ 23).- Carnival is the owner or co-owner of, partner in, or part of a joint venture regarding, the Segway Tour. (See id. ¶¶ 24-25).

Plaintiff participated in the Segway Tour in Nassau, Bahamas, on January 1, 2015. (See id. ¶ 19). Transportation to the Segway Tour location and back to the Carnival Magic was included in the Segway Tour purchased by Plaintiff. (See id. ¶ 20). While participating in the Segway Tour, Plaintiff and another participant in the tour collided with one another. (See id. ¶ 21). As a result of the collision, Plaintiff suffered severe injuries. (See id,).

Following Plaintiffs injuries, Plaintiff filed the instant suit against Carnival and the' Excursion Entities. (See generally id.). Plaintiff asserts the following claims against Carnival: Negligence (Count I); Negligence Based on Apparent Agency or Agency by Estoppel (Count III); Negligence Based on Joint Venture Between Carnival and. the . Excursion Entities (Count IV); and Third-Party Beneficiary (Count V). (See generally id.)2 In support of. Count V, Plaintiff states: (1) Carnival and the Excursion Entities entered into a contract to provide excursions (see id. ¶ 63); (2) the contract “clearly manifested the intent of the contracting parties that the contract primarily and directly benefit the third-party plaintiff by requiring the Excursion Entities to maintain insurance and/or exercise reasonable care” (id. ¶ 64); and (3) the contract was breached by Carnival and the Excursion Entities by failing to provide a safe excursion and failing, to adequately inspect and/or monitor excursion providers (see id. ¶ 65). Carnival moves to dismiss all claims against it, (See generally Mot.).

II. LEGAL STANDARD

“To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to ‘state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.’” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678, 129 S.Ct, 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009) (quoting Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)). Although this pleading standard “does not require ‘detailed factual allegations,’ ... it demands more than an unadorned, the defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Id. (alteration added) (quoting Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955). Pleadings must contain “more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not dp.” Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955 (citation omitted). Indeed, “only a complaint that states a plausible claim for relief survives a motion to dismiss.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 679, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955). To meet this “plausibility standard,” a plaintiff must “plead[] factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Id. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937 (alteration added) (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556, 127 S.Ct. 1955). “The mere possibility the defendant acted unlawfully is insufficient to survive a motion to dismiss.” Sinaltrainal v. Coca-Cola Co., 578 F.3d 1252, 1261 (11th Cir.2009) (citation omitted), abrogated on other grounds by Mohamad v. Palestinian [1357]*1357Auth., 566 U.S. 449, 132 S.Ct. 1702, 182 L.Ed.2d 720 (2012).

III. ANALYSIS3

Carnival argues Plaintiff: (1) seeks to impose heightened duties of care ..upon Carnival; (2) fails to allege sufficient facts to support a failure-to-warn claim; (3) fails to plead a prima facie case for negligent selection and retention; (4) fails to state a claim for negligent misrepresentation; (5) cannot hold Carnival liable.on a theory of apparent agency or agency by estoppel; (6) fails to allege sufficient facts to support a claim of joint venture; and (7) fails to allege an intent by Carnival and the Excursion Entities to benefit Plaintiff. (See generally Mot.).

A. Negligence Claim (Count I)

To properly plead a negligence claim, a plaintiff must allege four elements: “(1) a legal duty on the defendant to protect the plaintiff from particular injuries; (2) the defendant’s breach of that duty; (3) the plaintiffs injury being actually and proximately caused by the breach; and (4) the plaintiff suffering actual harm from the injury.” Belik v. Carlson Travel Grp., Inc., 864 F.Supp.2d 1302, 1308 (S.D. Fla. 2011) (internal.

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191 F. Supp. 3d 1352, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 183866, 2016 WL 6909163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heller-v-carnival-corp-flsd-2016.