Terry v. Carnival Corp.

3 F. Supp. 3d 1363, 2014 A.M.C. 1337, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35520, 2014 WL 982892
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedJanuary 16, 2014
DocketCase No. 13-20571-CIV
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 3 F. Supp. 3d 1363 (Terry 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
Terry v. Carnival Corp., 3 F. Supp. 3d 1363, 2014 A.M.C. 1337, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35520, 2014 WL 982892 (S.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER ON MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

DONALD L. GRAHAM, United States Magistrate Judge.

THIS CAUSE comes before the Court on Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Plaintiffs Pamela Morris, Larry [1366]*1366Poret, and R.P. [D.E. 113], Plaintiffs Motion for Partial Summary Judgment [D.E. 122], and Defendant’s Omnibus Motion for Summary Judgment [D.E. 127].

THE COURT has considered the motions, the relevant portions of the record, and is otherwise fully advised in the premises.

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs brought this suit in connection with their claims of injury while aboard the Carnival Triumph, during a cruise that departed on February 7, 2013, from Galveston, Texas, and which was scheduled to return on February 11, 2013. As a result of a fire, however, the Triumph’s voyage was interrupted when the vessel became disabled while en route back to Galveston from Cozumel. Plaintiffs now seek compensatory and punitive damages on claims of breach of contract, negligence and gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud.

II. LAW & DISCUSSION

A. Legal Standard

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 provides that summary judgment “shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any,- show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed. R.Civ.P. 56(c). The moving party has the burden of production. See Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S.Ct. 1598, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970).

At the summary judgment stage, the judge’s function is not to “weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter, but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). In making this determination, the Court must decide which issues are material. A material fact is one that might affect the outcome of the case. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc. 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). “Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment. Factual disputes that are irrelevant or unnecessary will not be counted.” Id.

The Court must also determine whether the dispute about a material fact is indeed genuine. “Where the record taken as a whole would not lead a rational trier of fact to find for the nonmoving party, there is no ‘genuine issue for trial’” and the court may grant the motion for summary judgment. Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 372, 380, 127 S.Ct. 1769, 167 L.Ed.2d 686 (2007) (quoting Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586-87, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986)). If however, reasonable minds could disagree on the inferences arising from the material facts, then the Court must deny the motion for summary judgment. Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. In other words, is the “evidence ... such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party.” Anderson, 477 U.S. at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505. See Marine Coatings of Alabama, Inc. v. United States, 932 F.2d 1370, 1375 (11th Cir.1991) (dispute of fact is “genuine” if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party).

This action is controlled by United States general maritime law. Keefe v. Bahama Cruise Line, Inc., 867 F.2d 1318, 1321 (11th Cir.1989); Executive Jet Aviation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland, 409 U.S. 249, 253, 93 S.Ct. 493, 34 L.Ed.2d 454 (1972); Foremost Ins. Co. v. Richardson, 457 U.S. 668, 674, 102 S.Ct. 2654, 73 L.Ed.2d 300 (1982); Everett v. Carnival [1367]*1367Cruise Lines, 912 F.2d 1355, 1358 (11th Cir.1990); Kermarec v. Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, 358 U.S. 625, 79 S.Ct. 406, 3 L.Ed.2d 550 (1959).

Additionally, “[i]n this circuit, whether a party was negligent constitutes a question of fact.” Keefe v. Bahama Cruise Line, Inc., 867 F.2d 1318, 1321 (11th Cir.1989).

B. Legal Analysis

1. Plaintiffs Morris, Poret and RJP.’s Motion for Summary Judgment

Plaintiffs Pamela Morris (“Morris”), Larry Poret (“Poret”), and his daughter, R.P. (“R.P.”), brought this action against Carnival to recover for their “injuries” stemming from the incident onboard the Triumph. Plaintiffs allege in their Fourth Amended Complaint that they suffered “serious physical and emotional injuries.” Defendants move for summary judgment asserting that despite Plaintiffs’ claims, they suffered no injuries while on the Triumph. Specifically, Defendant contends that Plaintiffs have suffered no physical injury, no emotional injury, no financial injury, no property damage, nor any other provable injury. [D.E. 113].

a. Pamela Morris

Pamela Morris (“Morris”) was a passenger onboard the Carnival Triumph during the cruise that is the subject of this litigation. Prior to boarding the Triumph, Morris acknowledged and agreed to the terms of the cruise ticket contract. Morris suffered no physical injuries onboard the Triumph. However she claims to have suffered emotional injuries. Morris claims that she continues to have “[a]nxiety, sleeplessness, dreams or nightmares.... ” [D.E. 113-1, Depo. of P. Morris, p. 71]. She has never reported her emotional injures to anyone and has sought no treatment for her purported emotional injuries. [D.E. 113-1, Depo. of P. Morris, pp. 71, 77]. Morris suffered no property damage as a result of the incident onboard the Triumph. [D.E. 113-1, Depo. of P. Morris, p. 79;]. Morris suffered no lost wages or financial losses as a result of the incident onboard the Triumph. [D.E. 113-1, Depo. of P. Morris, pp. 87, 91].

b. Larry Poret and R.P.

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3 F. Supp. 3d 1363, 2014 A.M.C. 1337, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35520, 2014 WL 982892, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/terry-v-carnival-corp-flsd-2014.