Florida judge dismisses Costa Concordia lawsuit

A judge in Florida has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Italian businesses against Miami-based Carnival Corp. over the fatal capsizing of a cruise ship off Italy's coast.

U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenbaum agreed with Carnival that the lawsuit should be filed in Italy, not the U.S. Up to 1,000 businesses on the island where the Costa Concordia ship ran aground had sought to sue Carnival in U.S. courts because it is Costa's parent company.

Still pending in the U.S. are several lawsuits filed on behalf of hundreds of passengers on the Concordia. The January 13 disaster claimed 32 lives and resulted in a criminal investigation of the ship's captain.

Carnival wants the passenger cases shifted to Italy. Motions have also been filed to consolidate the cases before a single judge.