Long Beach Approves $400,000 Settlement Over Fall Near Carnival Terminal
Filippo Ruffino suffered a brain bleed and lost sight in his right eye after falling on a cracked roadway in June 2024.
Long Beach has agreed to pay $400,000 to 83-year-old Filippo Ruffino, who was injured in a June 15, 2024, fall on a cracked roadway outside the Carnival cruise terminal near the Queen Mary. The settlement was reached through mediation and approved by the Long Beach City Council.
Ruffino was on his way to join his wife’s family for a weeklong Mexican Riviera cruise when he fell. His lawsuit against the city and Carnival Corporation alleged that Long Beach had failed to repair a dangerous roadway. Court filings said his medical expenses exceeded $39,000.
Deputy City Attorney Howard Russell said the city chose to settle to avoid the additional cost and uncertainty of a jury trial. The city also argued that Ruffino should not have been dropped off in the restricted area near Fire Station 6.
According to court records, a Long Beach Fire Department captain testified that staff had repeatedly warned Carnival not to allow passenger drop-offs near the station and said the practice had continued for years. Carnival spokesperson Jodi Venturoni said the lawsuit lacked merit because Ruffino’s fall occurred neither aboard a Carnival ship nor inside the cruise terminal.