John David Mercer / AP
Passengers from the cruise ship Carnival Triumph are questioned by reporters after they disembarked in Mobile, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. The ship with more than 4,200 passengers and crew members has been idled for nearly a week in the Gulf of Mexico following an engine room fire.
Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 | 2:22 p.m.
The first lawsuit has been filed in the wake of the crippled Carnival Triumph cruise ship that left thousands of passengers in miserable conditions for days.
Texas resident Cassie Terry sued Carnival Corp. on Friday in Miami federal court. The suit seeks unspecified damages, saying Terry feared for her life or that she might suffer serious injury or illness because of the presence of raw sewage and spoiled food.
Carnival cruise ship tickets require that all lawsuits be filed in Miami. Maritime attorneys say it's difficult but not impossible to win a case unless the plaintiff can show actual injury or illness.
More lawsuits are expected from some of the 4,200 people aboard the Triumph. It was disabled Sunday by an engine fire and finally towed to shore Thursday.
