NEW YORK, July 21, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Parker & Waichman, LLP (www.yourlawyer.com) announced that it has been retained by five passengers on the Crown Princess cruise ship who were injured after the vessel listed between 15 and 38 degrees to the right. On July 19 the ship departed from Canaveral, Florida for New York on the final leg of a nine-day Caribbean voyage. Parker & Waichman, LLP intends to file the required notice of claim to Carnival Corp. (NYSE:CCL), the owner of the Crown Princess, on behalf of these injured victims later today. The firm intends to file suit against Carnival Corp. and the relevant component manufacturers, including the manufacturers of the ship's autopilot and steering systems, by the end of July 2006.
Parker & Waichman, LLP is currently investigating additional claims from passengers and crew members. Passengers can request a free lawsuit case consultation at http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/cruise_ship_injuries . Injured crew members can request a free lawsuit case consultation by visiting http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/cruise_ship_injuries or http://www.maritimelegalhelp.com.
The ship, which weighs approximately 113,000 tons, had more than 3,100 passengers and 1,200 crew members aboard when the incident occurred. While the actual cause of the problem will be determined after the NTSB and Coast Guard finish their investigation, it is believed that the incident was caused by a malfunction of the steering equipment, or human error by the bridge crew. Similar incidents have happened in the past. The ship has since departed for Brooklyn, New York, with investigators from the U.S. Coast Guard and NTSB aboard. Carnival currently intends to put the ship back into service this Saturday, even if the investigation is not completed.
"The investigation into the cause of the problem has only just begun. We believe Carnival has jeopardized the safety of the ship's crew members by requiring them to sail to New York today," said Jerrold S. Parker, partner at Parker & Waichman, LLP. "The company's plan to put passengers back on the boat this weekend, before the safety investigation is concluded, is grossly irresponsible. We call on the NTSB and Coast Guard to require that Carnival keep the ship docked until it is deemed safe and bear responsibility for the injuries of passengers and crewmembers in this latest safety breach."
About Parker & Waichman, LLP
Parker & Waichman, LLP is a leading personal injury and products liability law firm that represents plaintiffs nationwide. The firm has offices in New York and New Jersey. Parker & Waichman, LLP has assisted thousands of clients in receiving fair compensation for injuries resulting from accidents, malpractice, defective medications and medical devices. The firm is currently representing individuals injured by Vioxx, Bextra, Zyprexa, Ketek, ReNu with MoistureLoc, Ortho Evra, Guidant Defibrillators and many other defective drugs and medical products. Parker & Waichman, LLP serves as a member of the plaintiffs' steering committee in Federal Ortho Evra and Zyprexa litigation. For more information on Parker & Waichman, LLP please visit: www.yourlawyer.com or call (800) LAW-INFO.