Hannah Smith, a recent Miles College graduate, has filed a federal lawsuit after what was supposed to be a carefree shore excursion in the Bahamas ended with the loss of both her legs. The complaint says Smith was pulled into the propeller of a catamaran ferry as passengers were getting off at Pearl Island in Nassau, suffering catastrophic injuries that led to repeated surgeries and amputations. Her suit names Carnival, Pearl Investment Management Group and Sun Cay Ltd., and accuses excursion staff of overserving passengers and giving her a sedating substance before the incident.
According to Brais Law Firm, Smith was first treated in Nassau, then airlifted to Miami’s HCA Florida Kendall Hospital for advanced care, where she underwent dozens of operations. The firm says Smith lost more than 60 percent of her blood, endured more than two dozen surgeries and ultimately required three successive amputations on her right leg that ended in a hip disarticulation. Brais describes her injuries as permanent and says the firm has opened an investigation into the excursion’s safety and Carnival’s oversight.
As detailed in the amended complaint and reported by The Tribune, the suit alleges bar staff poured “liter pours” of rum punch, encouraged marijuana use and that later toxicology tests found a sedating DFSA compound in Smith’s system. The complaint also claims staff told Smith to “use the water” when she asked where the restroom was, and that the ferry’s captain relied on the boat’s engines to hold the vessel in place instead of tying up, a practice the suit labels dangerous.
Carnival has asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing its booking materials clearly state that shore excursion operators are independent contractors, according to Atlanta News First. The Bahamian operators named in the suit have filed their own motions to dismiss on personal jurisdiction grounds, saying their businesses and the incident itself are based entirely in The Bahamas. Those procedural fights will determine whether Smith’s negligence and vicarious liability claims move forward in the Southern District of Florida.
Legal Questions And Industry Context
As maritime analysts point out in Cruise Law News, the case revives a familiar question in cruise litigation: when does a cruise line’s role in promoting and selling an excursion create apparent agency or vicarious liability for third-party vendors? Plaintiff lawyers argue Carnival had notice of prior complaints and should have vetted or stopped selling what the suit describes as an unsafe outing, while the defendants are expected to lean on independent contractor rules and their limited ties to Florida. How the court sorts out jurisdiction and the line between marketing and operational control will go a long way toward deciding whether the claims ever reach the merits.
Smith is seeking unspecified damages for permanent disability and future medical care, and her family has launched a fundraiser to help cover long-term needs, according to details shared by her counsel. Brais says it plans to press negligence and vicarious liability claims, while Carnival has told media it “prioritizes guest safety” and declined further comment because the dispute is in active litigation, as reported by The Independent. The suits remain pending in the Southern District of Florida while judges weigh the multiple dismissal motions and jurisdictional briefs.
