Texas Man Sues Carnival Cruise Line After Suffering Stroke Aboard Jubilee and Delayed Evacuation Leads to Permanent Brain Injury
Steven Roland, a resident of Texas, has filed a maritime personal injury lawsuit against Carnival Corporation in the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit, filed under Case No. 1:25-cv-24213-RNS, alleges that Roland suffered a severe and permanently disabling stroke aboard the Carnival Jubilee, and that Carnival’s failure to promptly evacuate him or provide proper medical care caused irreversible neurological damage.
Cruise Passenger Suffers Stroke on Carnival Jubilee But Was Not Evacuated to Nearby Hospital in Costa Maya
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on September 18, 2024, while the Carnival Jubilee was docked in Costa Maya, Mexico. Roland began exhibiting signs of a stroke while aboard the vessel, including impaired speech and cognitive function. Despite the availability of an emergency hospital less than one kilometer from the cruise pier, Carnival’s onboard medical staff allegedly failed to administer appropriate emergency stroke treatment or arrange for immediate transport to the nearby facility.
Instead, Roland was transported by ambulance over three hours to a hospital in Playa del Carmen—without any family member or Carnival representative accompanying him. The lawsuit claims that by the time he arrived, valuable treatment time had been lost, and Roland’s condition worsened significantly. He was eventually transferred to a public hospital, where his family found him restrained, unclothed, and untreated three days later.
Carnival Accused of Delayed Medical Response and Negligent Coordination with Emergency Evacuation Providers
The lawsuit asserts that Carnival negligently delayed Roland’s care by choosing not to send him to the nearest qualified hospital. Instead, he was routed to a distant and inadequate facility, causing further delays in receiving thrombolytic therapy or other time-sensitive interventions for stroke. According to the complaint, an air ambulance sent by the family was unable to locate Roland due to Carnival’s poor coordination, further extending the time without treatment. He was eventually flown to a hospital in Aventura, Florida—rather than his home state of Texas—after three days of avoidable delays.
As a result of the delayed care, Roland suffered catastrophic injuries, including aphasia, paralysis of the right arm, cognitive dysfunction, behavioral changes, and permanent disability. The complaint alleges that Roland now requires 24-hour care and has little to no chance of meaningful recovery.
Lawsuit Alleges Carnival Failed to Staff or Train Medical Team to Handle Stroke Emergencies at Sea
Roland’s legal team brings four counts of negligence against Carnival. The first two involve direct negligence for failing to properly train, staff, and equip the onboard medical team to respond to stroke symptoms, and for failing to coordinate evacuation or seek local emergency care in a timely manner. The lawsuit states that Carnival breached its duty to provide reasonable medical assistance once Roland exhibited symptoms of a medical emergency.
The remaining two counts assert vicarious liability: both under a theory of actual agency—arguing that the medical personnel were acting as Carnival employees—and under apparent agency, citing the uniforms, badges, and branding that led passengers to reasonably believe the shipboard doctors and nurses were Carnival’s agents.
Family of Stroke Victim Seeks Damages for Permanent Injuries, Medical Expenses, and Loss of Quality of Life
The lawsuit seeks damages for past and future medical costs, permanent disability, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. Roland’s family claims he has been left severely incapacitated due to the delay in treatment and negligent handling of the emergency by Carnival and its medical team. The complaint states that had proper care been provided immediately, the outcome could have been significantly less severe.
Contact a Cruise Ship Medical Negligence Lawyer if You or a Loved One Suffered Harm Due to Delayed Emergency Care
Cruise lines have a duty under maritime law to respond to medical emergencies with reasonable care, including arranging timely evacuation to shore-based facilities when needed. Delayed or negligent medical care aboard cruise ships can lead to permanent injuries or even death. If you or someone you love suffered a stroke, heart attack, or other serious condition while on a cruise and did not receive prompt and adequate care, contact our experienced maritime attorneys today.
Contact us now to speak with a cruise ship medical negligence lawyer.
Disclaimer: Our firm does not represent the plaintiff in this case and is not involved in the litigation. The information provided is a summary of allegations based on publicly available court filings. We make no representations about the truth of these allegations, are not commenting on the merits of the case, and are not predicting any outcome.
