6 Cruise Survivors Sue for $460M

Six surviving passengers from the Costa Concordia are suing Carnival Cruise Lines for a whopping $460 million—$10 million in personal damages, and $450 million in punitive damages. The suit was filed in Florida, where Carnival is based, by a lawyer who says he's part of a coalition representing some 500 of the ship's passengers and crew, the Guardian reports. "We believe we can win in Florida, and we are going to go forward, forward, forward without fear until they don't know what hit them—sort of like the Concordia," the lawyer says.

The lawsuit has the backing of the Italian consumer protection agency Codacons, whose president says all passengers should be compensated "not only for material damage, but also for moral ones, such as fear and terror suffered, and the risks related to physical integrity." To head off the legal feeding frenzy, Carnival will have to move swiftly to set up a mass claims facility, Forbes notes. So far, the company has offered survivors $14,400 each, after previously offering them refunds and a 30% discount on future cruises. (More Carnival Cruise Lines stories.)