No Windfall From Cruise Ship

I'm amazed it took this long to get tossed. The lawyers got rich, per usual.

They should have sued the grandfather.

I couldn't sleep one night for the rest of my life. how HORRIBLE; Poor little girl, poor man. I'm crying now

It was an accident.

I can't I'm sorry OP I have to block this thread. It's AWFUL

If other people had lost their toddlers out of those windows, they might have had a case.

Since drunk grandpa dropped the baby, there wasn’t one.

"Windfall," "threw out," "tossed," there's no delicate way to write about it.

tragic

Within minutes of the decision Michael Winkleman, the Wiegand’s attorney, said the couple from South Bend, Indiana planned to appeal.

‘The family is surprised and deeply saddened by the court’s ruling. This is a matter that should be decided by a jury, and we are confident and hopeful the appellate court will agree,’ Winkleman told DailyMail.com.

‘We will be filing the appeal shortly and we will continue to fight and raise awareness about the dangers of unintentional toddler window falls. This case was always about Chloe and shining a light on her brief but beautiful life.’

Let it go. Gramps killed her.

[quote] Haunting on-board camera footage of the incident shows Anello alone on deck with Chloe, who leads her grandfather away from the H20 zone splash pool towards the glass sides of the ship

Wtf? “Alone on deck?” The photo shows a roomful of people and a bunch of men sitting at what appears to be a bar. There’s no splash pool & no baby leading her grandfather anywhere. The red circle drawn in the photo shows blurry nothingness.

Poor little dear. I can still hear her last words.....

"SPLASH"

Those misguided parents shouldn't be suing the cruise line.

If it were me, I'd find a way to express subtle, but profuse gratitude to Grandpa.

[quote] the dangers of unintentional toddler window falls

Here's a hint: when near a window with a small kid, whether you think it's closed or not, BE CAREFUL

I really don't understand how anyone could think it's the cruise ship's fault. My mind doesn't bend that way

R9 Eye roll at the attorneys' comment. "if we could just sidestep the obvious legal reality of the situation, I just know the cloying photo montage of the dead toddler we plan to project in the courtroom will have a jury weeping and throwing us millions!"

R11, the article says she landed on a concrete dock. Can’t get much worse than that.

I am assuming she didn’t feel anything at least. Death would have been instantaneous.

He isn’t even the Granddaddy, he was Grandma’s boyfriend I believe. I am sure he will never forgive himself. But it wasn’t the damn ships fault.

Pappy tossed that kid for a payday.

[quote] and a lack of warning notices were to blame

But I don't know the language shown in the warning notice.

I’ve been on that ship. You can clearly tell when a window is open or closed. The windows are tinted. Grandpa also stuck his head out of the window before he picked her up.

What a strange looking baby

This couple are so odious, I am glad that they will not profit from their drunk step grandpa.

You don’t see the fall in the CCTV but it’s still pretty awful to watch as you know what’s happening. He’s full of shit saying he didn’t know the window was open as he clearly sticks his head and upper body out before picking up the kid and dangling her out of the window, probably to look at the view.

The parents apparently have refused to watch the CCTV but maybe if they had they’d be pointing the blame in the right direction, to Grandpa. Their lawyers are pieces of shit for taking the case when they must have watched the CCTV themselves and could easily predict the defence’s winning argument.

[quote]‘We will be filing the appeal shortly and we will continue to fight and raise awareness about the dangers of unintentional toddler window falls."

Oi did the same fing. Won a Grammy for it, Oi did.

“Unintentional toddler window falls”? As opposed to intentional ones?

Marilyn didn't have the problem of falling out the porthole!

Once again I'd like to point out that the step-grandpa was 50 years old when this occurred, younger than J-Lo.

I wonder if the concrete-kiss cantaloupe/twigs-and-pretzels/paper-sack-of-tomato-sauce sound echoed about or got lost in the roar of the waves and the screech of the thieving gulls.

Mom and Dad heard "KA-CHING!"

Do these people have Russian ancestry, by chance?

Horrifying. How do you live with yourself after such a thing?

Step Gramps needs to off himself.

Baby dead

Grandpa pled

Case has no cred

And don’t forget that the cop dad was composed enough when he found out his daughter died to convince gramps not to take a breathalyzer. He’s clearly an alcoholic.

R32: in this guy’s case I’d say the chosen approach is lie and take as little responsibility as possible.

Negligent parents. One thing is to leave your small child with someone who doesn't usually care for that child while you are in your own home. That's a known environment. But to do that when you are in a complete new universe of a whole big cruise ship with thousands of possibilities of unknown mishaps? Just plain ole negligent.

Based on the parents, she’s probably better off

Tort reform now.

Tot reform?

Is there a more white trash way to die? Maybe getting squashed at a Walmart on Black Friday

I’m surprised grandpa hasn’t killed himself. How could you live with that?

Very sad. I remember when the incident was first reported, a claim was made that the toddler’s favorite pastime was banging on the plexiglas window at a hockey rink. That sounded like a strangely concocted justification for the behavior. If the footage showed the gentleman leaning out of the opened window, there is nothing left to say about the ship’s design or the carrier’s culpability. It’s a terrible story, but this resolution feels fair and rational. The claim felt specious right away.

Who brings a toddler on a cruise? It doesn’t strike me as somewhere you’d want a small child to be.

EVERYONE, r44. That's why the pleb cruiselines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean are full of them. Never go on one unless you enjoy being around a thousand rugrats of all ages swarming around your ankles like hungry rats.

This case has gone on longer than the kid's life

On one hand, fuck giant corporations. On the other hand, fuck shitty parents who want to blame big money for their own negligence

[quote]a lack of warning notices were to blame.

Please do not throw babies out window. Thank-you.

[quote]However a judge tossed the emotion-charged case

Just like gramps tossed that tot.

[quote]and we will continue to fight and raise awareness about the dangers of unintentional toddler window falls.

Honestly, this entire sentence reads like satire. I am envisioning an SNL skit as I read it.

I don't think this is really about the parents trying to make bank off the cruise line. This is often what happens with grief after a horrible and random accident. The parents are in pain and need to blame someone for it, otherwise they can't make sense of it. It's much easier to put that blame on the cruise line, to convince themselves that it was 'faulty window design' that killed their baby or whatever they can cling onto, rather than admit to themselves that the grandmother's boyfriend killed her. These excuses are what allow the remaining family to function. But there will come that day, after their appeal is also tossed out, that one or the other will finally accept the truth. And on that day, grandpa will probably never see them again. I mean, I don't think I could do it.

R50 I could understand at first. But the case has gone on longer than her life. The time to let it go has come and gone.

It’s tragic and sad, and the lawyers are bent on a payout because they don’t get paid without one. Unfortunately, a verdict in their favor could open a Pandora’s box of litigation of making money off stupidity, forgetfulness and plain old recklessness.

R52 sounds like the American way

I get that Royal Caribbean isn’t responsible, but the least they could do is comp a 1st class cruise for the family.

Is drunk fake grandpa still with the actual grandmother?

[quote]And don’t forget that the cop dad was composed enough when he found out his daughter died to convince gramps not to take a breathalyzer. He’s clearly an alcoholic.

If gramps plays his cards right, he could be wowing them in AA for years to come.

I’m sure the company could provide footage of every drink gramps ordered that day- but doing so would be a publicity nightmare.

Can’t blame them for trying.

Sadly, it was G-Pa’s fault.

Things aren't looking good for Royal Caribbean Karen and her COVID case.

The fact that the company didn’t settle shows just how flimsy of a case they had.

[quote] I get that Royal Caribbean isn’t responsible, but the least they could do is comp a 1st class cruise for the family.

Are you kidding? If they did that, there would soon be a line of people at every open window on the ship tossing out babies.

The cop father's first instinct upon hearing his daughter has been dropped and killed is to protect the drunk grandfather? That always seemed off to me.

I still wonder if this wasn't some plot cooked up by them to get rid of the kid. Didn't she have Issues?

So I guess Gramps learned a valuable lesson: Babies do not bounce!

[quote] I’m surprised grandpa hasn’t killed himself. How could you live with that?

Meh. It’s not his grandkid.

[quote] Who brings a toddler on a cruise?

Things have changed since The Love Boat, Grams.

Cruise ships are Disneyworld on the water.

The cruise ship company should sue the plaintiffs for court costs. Bankrupt the money grubbers.

I'd love to know what kind of warning sign would have worked on a drunk who stuck his head out of the tinted window but still somehow didn't know it was open because he's colorblind.

The sad lives of Trumpsters aboard Royal Caribbean cruises!

I agree, r63. What father does that? My instinct would be to lead the charge myself if it were my kid.

R70, he’s a cop it’s just his instinct to protect the horrible white man over everyone else.

The grandfather isn't white, dingus.

These people had no case. Sue the grandfather. He’s responsible, not the cruise line.

Does it not appear that the upper half of his body is outside the window?

I had no idea the guy who threw the kid out the cruise ship window was a 50 year old BOYFRIEND of the grandma!! He's not even a step-grandfather, since they're not even married!! They acted like he was some wizened 85 year old guy. This is outrageous.

The video shows he was doing a Michael Jackson with the kid and dropped her. Frivolous lawsuit. Go ahead and appeal but this will go nowhere.

I’m also colorblind but could see when windows were open on that ship.

[quote] So I guess Gramps learned a valuable lesson: Babies do not bounce!

Continue the research!

R72, um, yes, the grandfather was white. I guess you’re the dingus now?

Why am I not surprised that they're from South Bend? I lived there for four years, and met more dumb trashy people than I had during my 18 years growing up in the Florida panhandle.

Hickery dickery dock

The lawyers' case was a crock

If you have a baby

Then maybe, just maybe

Don't drop her onto a dock

I just watched the video on YouTube of the surveillance footage. He very clearly bends over and leans out the window, probably to take a look at the view. This goes on for about 10 seconds. Then he pulls himself back out of the window, leans down and picks up the child. He then holds her OUTSIDE of the window. What was he thinking?? He seems to hold her for quite a while before there’s any indication that something’s wrong. People are coming over to him by the end of the video. The family is entitled to nothing from the cruise line.

[quote]What was he thinking??

That Galileo was wrong.

He was playing around with a child, he deserves nothing and should be in prison, at least for a little while.

R79 your statement was moronic and racist, immediately pegging you as a Millennial or zoomer. And completely just pulled out of thin air.

He wasn't her grandfather.

[quote]That Galileo was wrong.

Ahem....excuse me?

R85 I was referring to r72 claiming the grandfather wasn’t white. He is.

r87 he's not her grandfather, though.

This man looks like my dad...who just turned 72.

And fuck the semantics. The family considers him to be the mom's stepdad (not sure if they're legally married) and they called him grandpa. Doesn't matter.

R88, that’s not the point. R72 was saying that the—ok, the person who dropped the child—was a minority. They weren’t.

They were too a minority! They were among the number of people who think holding a child out a window with a eight-story drop onto concrete below is a good idea.

I certainly hope that's a minority.

Touché r91!

R85/R88, you already referred to him as her grandfather in your post at R63. So whatever trolling you're attempting is already a failure and you can stop now.

I feel sorry for the child. It would be best for the family to not appeal. What kind of father would insist that the old man not have a breathalyzer test? That will come out in court plus as mentioned before, how much booze the idiot consumed. With family members like these, the baby is in a better place!

[quote] I really don't understand how anyone could think it's the cruise ship's fault. My mind doesn't bend that way

Add a dose of white trash mentality followed by a bit of POS personality and then throw in a bit of alcohol and dementia to mix it all up and then see what your mind comes up with.

[quote]I just watched the video on YouTube of the surveillance footage. He very clearly bends over and leans out the window, probably to take a look at the view. This goes on for about 10 seconds. Then he pulls himself back out of the window, leans down and picks up the child. He then holds her OUTSIDE of the window.

That what it looks like to me, too, and yet I don't believe the all important fact of the man leaning out through the open window before lifting the baby up to it was mentioned as part of the decision. Why is that?

[quote] [R11], the article says she landed on a concrete dock. Can’t get much worse than that.

Splat

R89 I disagree. They are calling him the grandfather to tug at peoples heartstrings. Oh how sad! Grandpa accidentally dropped his precious granddaughter. Saying “Grandmamas Boyfriend” doesn’t have the same effect.

[quote] Step Gramps needs to off himself.

Yes, hopefully he takes a swan dive off of the Lido deck and straight to the bottom of the sea.

No, he doesn't. It was a stupid accident.

What part of dangling a helpless child out a window is accidental?

The dropping part.

Yeah. When you have created the hazardous situation, it is no longer an accident. It is negligence at the very least.

The parents' reaction is odd, supporting the grandpa or grandma's boyfriend. Grandpa is probably not wealthy, hence, parents sued the cruise company. Still, I'd be angry at the grandpa. Maybe he did babysit this little girl quite a bit. If parents knew he was drinking too much and placed child in his care, that would be negligent on the parents' part.

There once was a man from South Bend

Who on a cruise he did attend

But his grand daughter, named Chloe,

Whose death he did plea,

Did not fail to descend.

And as for the bucket, Nantucket.

R105, don't give up your day job to write limericks. That would be a BIG mistake.

Where’s th3 video of him stocked head out window? I don’t want to see the baby toss part, though.

R107, if you watch the video linked to above, even though it's not very clear, you can pretty clearly sticking his head and upper body out of the window, but fortunately, you can't actually see the baby fall because that's out of the frame.

Sorry, "you can pretty clearly see the idiot sticking his head and upper body out of the window."

Eat a fig, Newton.

If the windows were really that faultily designed, wouldn’t there be tons of cases of parents throwing their kids out the window by mistake?

My adorable 18 month old child loves hockey so of course I take her to the arena to watch the game. He’s very appropriate for her age & loves to bang on plexiglass at the hockey game, so of course I allow it. Who doesn’t? What could possible go wrong? And it’s such an intellectually stimulating pastime. Lol. I can’t wait for her to go to school & bang on the school bus window and bang the windows in the classroom & cafeteria. When she’s a demented old woman she can bang on the window in her nursing home room while screaming - just like at the hockey game .

[quote]… and we will continue to fight and raise awareness about the dangers of unintentional toddler window falls. This case was always about Chloe and shining a light on her brief but beautiful life.

How nice to know it’s a moral and safety crusade. Tragic and heartbreaking but it was Gramps’ mistake.

[quote] If the windows were really that faultily designed, wouldn’t there be tons of cases of parents throwing their kids out the window by mistake?

Yup

If the video showed one iota of gramps not being aware there was no window, the cruise line might have settled. But he stuck his head out of the window! And then picked up the kid and HELD HER OUTSIDE THE WINDOW.

AND Grandpa pled out to some type of criminal charge for the little girl's death.

These people (yes, "these people") are reminding me of the people supporting Aunt Diane.

I mean, was the kid even cold before they started plotting how to get money from the cruise line?

There was a fall, but it wasn’t a windfall.

[quote] Tot Drop Pop-pop Cops to Kerplop to Make it Stop

This one still cracks me up.

He needs a SIGN to tell him to not dangle a baby out of the window of a cruise ship?

[quote]He needs a SIGN to tell him to not dangle a baby out of the window of a cruise ship?

We're dealing with people who need to put something IMPORTANT in their back seat (their phone, purse, etc.) so they don't leave their babies in the car to fry.

R93 go fuck yourself. You're not the thread police.

R122, I’m not r93, but you berated people in here for calling the guy grandfather while calling him that yourself. It has nothing to do with policing, but calling out hypocrisy.

Exactly, R123. Also, a lot of people keep referring to the man in question as "the grandfather" or "gramps" because that's how he was initially identified in the news reports. And probably the reason for that is because, although "grandfather" is inaccurate, it's a LOT easier than saying "the boyfriend of the child's grandmother."

Whatever you call him, I think he should be in jail.

When your kid flies, he dies.

[quote]This case was always about Chloe and shining a light on her brief but beautiful life.

But mostly about her ugly, gruesome death.

[quote] What a strange looking baby

Well, in fairness, you probably should’ve looked at the pictures from before she was dropped.

Of course she’s strange looking NOW.

[quote] With family members like these, the baby is in a better place!

In pieces on a concrete dock?!

[quote] “Unintentional toddler window falls”? As opposed to intentional ones?

Well….

[quote]In pieces on a concrete dock?!

Honey, she wasn't Madeline Ashton. Meatbags are pretty sturdy.

R130, untrue. The tragic Miss McHale remained intact because she landed feet first on a car; her feet and lower legs (not shown in the above photograph) were severely mangled and the car's crumpling cushioned the rest of her.

The vast majority of people who suffer falls from the height this unfortunate child onto a solid surface such as a concrete dock did are not intact after impact.

My thread had such a better title!

R131, but her feet and legs ARE showing in the photo.

R131 is Helen Keller.

R133 not to the extent that you see the damage. And a car roof is not a concrete dock.

Fuck, I forgot how big that baby's head was. There must have been Chloe Cleanup efforts all across Puerto Rico if a plump noggin like that hit the deck!

[quote]a lot of people keep referring to the man in question as "the grandfather" or "gramps" because that's how he was initially identified in the news reports.

Most DL'ers are calling him "gramps" simply because he's over 30.

I still can’t believe the nerve of those people, suing. SMDH.