Cruise crew member sues in Chicago over Italy disaster

(AP/File)

A crew member from the stricken cruise ship Costa Concordia has filed a lawsuit in Chicago federal court against Carnival Cruise Lines and its Costa subsidiary.

The lawsuit seeks to represent all 4,200 passengers and crew aboard the vessel when it struck rocks and capsized Jan. 13. It was filed Thursday on behalf of crew member Gary Lobaton, who is from Peru.

The lawsuit accuses Carnival and Costa of negligence because of an unsafe evacuation after the accident occurred. Sixteen people are known dead and 16 more are missing.

Neither company would comment about lawsuits Friday.

Carnival is based in Miami and Costa in Hollywood, Fla. The lawsuit says Chicago is a proper venue because Carnival does substantial business in Illinois.