Arrest Warrant Issued for Carnival Cruise Ship in Texas Over Concordia Lawsuit

Bloomberg has reported that an arrest warrant has been issued for the MS Carnival Triumph in Galveston, TX as ordered by a U.S. judge following a lawsuit filed against Carnival Corp. by the family of a German tourist who died in the Costa Concordia disaster.

According to the report, the $10 million lawsuit was filed yesterday in federal court in Galveston and that passengers, who were about to embark on a five-day cruise to Mexico, are able to come and go as they please as Carnival awaits to argue their case in a hearing yet to be scheduled.

“The court finds that the conditions for an attachment of defendants’ joint and collective property within this district, mainly the MS Carnival Triumph, appear to exist upon an admiralty and maritime claim,” U.S. Magistrate Judge John Froeschner of Galveston said in the warrant obtained by Bloomberg. Adding “the plaintiff shall be required to show why the attachment and garnishment should not be vacated,” in their court appearence.

Carnival has not yet commented on the case.

The full complaint can be found at the link: Kai Stumpf v. Carnival plc, and Utopia Cruises, Inc.

UPDATE: The MS Carnival Triumph was cleared to leave Galveston Saturday afternoon.