Deborah Jero, a passenger on the Tropical Breeze Casino shuttle that caught fire in Port Richey, Florida on January 14 recently filed a lawsuit against the company for damages that exceed $15,000. Jero’s lawsuit claims the fire and passengers’ injuries were due to negligence. The shuttle was transporting 50 people to the casino ship when it became engulfed in flames, forcing passengers and crew members to jump into cold, murky water. One woman later died from her injuries and 15 others were hurt.
The lawsuit states Jero and other passengers were forced to jump more than 10 feet into water that was less than three feet deep to avoid perishing in the fire. The lawsuit claims Jero suffered “serious mental anguish and trauma from the forced jump.”
The lawsuit states, “Tropical Breeze had a duty to its paying passengers to maintain its vessel in a reasonably safe manner under the circumstances, including keeping all of its engines, tackle, appurtenances, wiring, machinery, systems, electronics and the vessel in good repair and free from any conditions that would present a hazard or risk of injury which Tropical Breeze knew or should have known existed in the exercise of reasonable care.”
It further says, “Tropical Breeze’s second duty to its passengers was to warn of dangerous conditions which Tropical Breeze knew or should have known in the exercise of reasonable caution.”
The lawsuit claims Tropical Breeze breached both of those duties by failing to inspect, maintain, outfit, clean and repair the shuttle boat. It adds Tropical Breeze allowed those hazardous conditions to exist on its shuttle boat and either knew or should have known that the boat was likely to experience mechanical or engine issues because of prior issues with similar vessels within its fleet.
In conclusion, the lawsuit states, “As a direct and proximate result of Tropical Breeze’s negligence, Deborah Jero suffered physical injury, mental anguish, disability, loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, loss of earnings, loss of ability to earn in the future and medical expenses.”
