Cruise Ship Accidents
Cruise ships are home to all kinds of accidents, from slips and food poisoning to herniated disks, fractures, dismemberment, and even death by drowning. Unfortunately, the laws on such situations are complicated and not very passenger-friendly, so it is important to hire a good maritime lawyer to protect your rights and make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Cruise Ship Accidents and Maritime Law
Although maritime law provides a number of statutes to protect those on cruise ships from negligence, unfortunately most of them pertain more to staff and employees, not passengers. For instance, while cruise staff can seek compensation through the Jones Act, passengers have considerably fewer protections.
Cruise ship operators owe passengers what is called a duty of "reasonable care." This means that cruise ships are required to provide a reasonably safe environment, which includes warnings about potential dangers, such as slippery decks, dangerous equipment, or wobbly gangplanks. However, the term "reasonable care" is open to interpretation, and the passenger is responsible for proving that the company was negligent.
As with most personal injury accidents, there is a statue of limitations for cruise ship accidents. Injured passengers sometimes have less than a year to submit personal injury claims against cruise operators. Several cruise lines have special clauses inserted in the contract of carriage (often explained in the fine print on the back of passengers' tickets) that can shorten the statute of limitations even further, sometimes down to six months.
Most cruise operators require injured passengers to sue them in a specific city,r which often makes it more complex for the passenger. This is a perfect reason, why injured passengers should only turn to an experienced maritime attorney for a cruise ship accident. The "forum selection clause" usually found in the fine print on the back of ticket, can hinder the injured passenger's chance of legal compensation, if they have not complied with the forum selection clause.
What To Do If You Are Injure Aboard a Cruise Ship
If you are injured on a cruise line, there are several essential steps to take to make sure that you receive proper compensation. First, as soon as the accident occurs, you should file a written report with the security office of the cruise ship, keeping a copy for yourself.
A member of the cruise staff may try to have you sign a waiver or other document to exempt them from responsibility, but it is imperative that you not sign anything. You should also take photographs of the scene of the accident, and write down the name and contact information of any eyewitnesses.
After you arrive home, contact an experienced maritime lawyer as soon as possible. Cruise Ship Accidents are a special area under admiralty and maritime law, and compensation can be determined by a number of factors ranging from the type of accident to the home port of the cruise line or even the foreign country where the cruise ship is registered, so it is essential that you contact a cruise ship accident lawyer to protect your interests and ensure a successful case.
Please feel free to contact our office to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer regarding a personal injury or wrongful death matter in Palm Beach County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, St. Lucie County, Martin County or anywhere in Florida. Call 1-888-777-3884 to discuss your case or fill out the case evaluation form on the left for a Free Consultation.
The Florida Personal Injury, LaBovick Law Group, represents seriously injured accident victims throughout Florida, including the cities of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Stuart, Deerfield Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Delray Beach, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Hollywood, Riviera Beach, Lake Worth, Tequesta, Lake Park, Juno Beach and Ft. Pierce among many others.
Cruise Ship Accidents and Maritime Law
Although maritime law provides a number of statutes to protect those on cruise ships from negligence, unfortunately most of them pertain more to staff and employees, not passengers. For instance, while cruise staff can seek compensation through the Jones Act, passengers have considerably fewer protections.
Cruise ship operators owe passengers what is called a duty of "reasonable care." This means that cruise ships are required to provide a reasonably safe environment, which includes warnings about potential dangers, such as slippery decks, dangerous equipment, or wobbly gangplanks. However, the term "reasonable care" is open to interpretation, and the passenger is responsible for proving that the company was negligent.
As with most personal injury accidents, there is a statue of limitations for cruise ship accidents. Injured passengers sometimes have less than a year to submit personal injury claims against cruise operators. Several cruise lines have special clauses inserted in the contract of carriage (often explained in the fine print on the back of passengers' tickets) that can shorten the statute of limitations even further, sometimes down to six months.
Most cruise operators require injured passengers to sue them in a specific city,r which often makes it more complex for the passenger. This is a perfect reason, why injured passengers should only turn to an experienced maritime attorney for a cruise ship accident. The "forum selection clause" usually found in the fine print on the back of ticket, can hinder the injured passenger's chance of legal compensation, if they have not complied with the forum selection clause.
What To Do If You Are Injure Aboard a Cruise Ship
If you are injured on a cruise line, there are several essential steps to take to make sure that you receive proper compensation. First, as soon as the accident occurs, you should file a written report with the security office of the cruise ship, keeping a copy for yourself.
A member of the cruise staff may try to have you sign a waiver or other document to exempt them from responsibility, but it is imperative that you not sign anything. You should also take photographs of the scene of the accident, and write down the name and contact information of any eyewitnesses.
After you arrive home, contact an experienced maritime lawyer as soon as possible. Cruise Ship Accidents are a special area under admiralty and maritime law, and compensation can be determined by a number of factors ranging from the type of accident to the home port of the cruise line or even the foreign country where the cruise ship is registered, so it is essential that you contact a cruise ship accident lawyer to protect your interests and ensure a successful case.
Please feel free to contact our office to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced lawyer regarding a personal injury or wrongful death matter in Palm Beach County, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, St. Lucie County, Martin County or anywhere in Florida. Call 1-888-777-3884 to discuss your case or fill out the case evaluation form on the left for a Free Consultation.
The Florida Personal Injury, LaBovick Law Group, represents seriously injured accident victims throughout Florida, including the cities of West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Stuart, Deerfield Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Delray Beach, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Hollywood, Riviera Beach, Lake Worth, Tequesta, Lake Park, Juno Beach and Ft. Pierce among many others.
