Carnival Cruise Line Inc. is proposing to pay a $1.5 million settlement to passengers who were hurt in a cruise ship accident that killed a woman and injured four others.
Carnival’s board of directors voted unanimously Monday to award the settlement to the family of Melissa Mims, who was killed when a Carnival cruise ship sank in the Pacific Ocean in March.
Mims, 22, and her family sued Carnival for negligence in April, claiming the company failed to stop the sinking of its Carnival Triumph cruise ship, a Carnival ship called the Princess Mary, as it went into port on March 21.
Carnival denies the allegations and says the accident was preventable.
Cory Lum/Civil BeatMims’ family, which includes her mother and sister, says the cruise line’s board failed to properly warn passengers about a possible shipwreck before the accident.
Moons, a passenger on the Princess Moms ship, was killed and two other passengers injured.
The board will issue a final report in May.
Millsville, Pennsylvania-based Carnival Cruiselines said in a statement Monday it has agreed to settle the case.
It also will pay $100,000 to the families of four people injured in the accident and $250,000 for each of the injured.
“Carnivals commitment to safety is evident in every day of Carnival’s operations,” said the company in a release.
“In the past year alone, Carnival has implemented numerous safety measures to improve the safety of our guests and crew.”
The Carnival Triumph was carrying more than 600 passengers and six crew members when it struck a reef off the coast of California, killing Mims and two others.
The Princess Mombs ship sank after the accident in a massive blowout.
Carnival is working to build a replacement vessel that can carry 400 passengers and more than 100 crew members.
Cavalier said Monday that it will pay for medical expenses for the injured passengers, and will provide $150,000 in compensation to survivors.
Muns’ family declined to comment.
