Rose Parade Float Volunteer Says She Was Injured Building Cruise Line Entry

A well-known builder of Tournament of Rose Parade floats is being sued by a volunteer who alleges she was injured at the Irwindale-based business while working on the Carnival Cruise Line 2019 entry.

Susan Vasquez’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges negligence and premises liability on the part of Fiesta Parade Floats. The complaint filed Tuesday seeks unspecified damages.

A representative for Fiesta Floats, located on Avenida Padilla in Irwindale, did not immediately reply to request for comment.

On or about Dec. 27, 2018, Vasquez was working as a volunteer on the Carnival Cruise Line float when she tripped over a “dangerous condition,” according to her court papers.

The complaint does not identify the alleged perilous condition, but Vasquez maintains she suffered extensive injuries that continue to cause her significant pain.

Employees at the company are responsible for training, instructing and ensuring the safety of volunteers constructing floats for the annual New Year’s Day spectacle in Pasadena, but Vasquez received no training, warnings or instructions before beginning her volunteer work, her suit alleges.

She alleges that the staff knew or should have known about the alleged dangerous condition that led to her injury, but were themselves negligently trained and supervised, which caused them to fail to warn her.

The 2019 Rose Parade was the first time Carnival Cruise Line participated in the event. The float named “Come Sail Away” focused on Carnival’s newest ship, the Carnival Panorama, and showcased floral scuba divers and acrobatics on a trampoline.

Former Miss USA Deshauna Barber, who served in the U.S. Army, was the featured guest on the float in a salute to members of the armed services.