Royal Caribbean Sued Over Deadly Gas Leak On Cruise Ship

This week, the disabled Carnival cruise ship Splendor made news as 4,500 saw their vacation turn into an ordeal after an engine room fire.  But, another cruise ship was also in the news.
 
In September 2005, the Monarch of the Seas was docked at the Port of Los Angeles.  There were more than more than 3,400 passengers and crew aboard the ship.
 
Cruise ships have permanent ballast tanks onboard the ship. These tanks contain a mixture of gray water, pulper water and seawater.  The combination creates hydrogen sulfide, a colorless, deadly gas. Within the first few minutes, the gas has the odor of rotten eggs; then the person inhaling the gas smells nothing. Prolonged exposure can cause severe brain and lung damage and even death.
 
To prevent injury, ballast tanks and related equipment must be regularly maintained.  However, despite a history of continued problems which killed a worker, Royal Caribbean Cruises continued to operate the cruise ship.
 
The maritime lawsuit alleges that because of inadequate maintenance, the noxious gas was sucked back into the vessel and into the passenger areas including cabins, through the air conditioning intakes. Numerous passengers and others complained about a foul smelling gas. When the workers assigned to fix the piping opened the tank, lethal hydrogen sulfide gas escaped in a huge cloud killing three crewmembers.
 
Royal Caribbean is accused of negligence for the death of the crewmembers and for endangering passengers.
 
To learn more about the rights of cruise ship workers, contact The Young Firm at 866-938-6113.