Experience You Can
Depend On

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Cruise Ship Injuries
  4.  » Cruise ship staff member could win $1.3 million settlement

Cruise ship staff member could win $1.3 million settlement

On Behalf of | Oct 6, 2019 | Cruise Ship Injuries

An employee for Carnival Cruise won a legal battle against the company after it refused to provide him with compensation for spinal and back injuries he endured while on duty.

According to news reports, Genti Jankula, 35, was initially supposed to get an arbitration settlement from the company in 2018, but Carnival ignored the request because they claim the arbitrator wasn’t fair in handling the agreement.

Injury occurred from a faulty bed handle

Jankula started working for the cruise line back in 2007 and worked his way up to the Valor cruise ship in 2014. While climbing into his bunk after his first day on the new job, the bed’s handle broke, causing Jankula to fall off and break his back.

Carnival Cruise sent Jankula back to his home country of Albania to treat his injuries but stopped paying for his medical expenses after only a few months.

Violation of professional privileges

In 2015, Mr. Jankula contacted an attorney, claiming his employer displayed negligence when dealing with his condition. He and his attorney believed that ship workers were entitled to food, housing and covered medical expenses from cruise ship employers for injuries sustained at sea. An arbitrator then determined the company did not act within their duty of care and ordered Carnival to pay Jankula $1.3 million in damages.

Carnival challenged the decision

However, Carnival pushed back against the decision, saying they were mistreated during arbitration proceedings, but they eventually lost the appeal after Jankula took his case to a higher court. A U.S. District Judge ruled in his favor and asked the company to give him compensation.

Working on a cruise ship can pose risks

Cruise ship injuries can result in severe pain and suffering for those affected by it. If you or a loved one were seriously injured or killed while working on a cruise ship, an experienced maritime attorney could help take your case to court and get you the compensation you deserve.