Cruise Ship Accidents

When people plan a vacation they rarely anticipate being injured or victimized while on their trip. However, cruise ship incidents are common enough that travelers should be aware of their rights. In the past 30 years over eighty million people have been on cruises. As the fastest growing segment of the travel industry, traveling on cruise ships has become a popular way to vacation. As the majority of cruises depart from Florida, it is even more relevant to our state’s residents and to the thousands of tourists who visit Florida to enjoy a cruise.

Even though the top cruise lines collect billions of dollars from travelers every year, cruise lines have been targeted in recent years with major customer complaints. Travelers have experienced everything from poor sanitation practices to theft and assault. As the cruise lines have been charged more often with these types of claims, they have also become much more effective at figuring out the best way to limit their liability in case of legal action. Cruise lines utilize extensive waivers that prevent passengers’ ability to bring a lawsuit. In addition your cruise ticket requires that all lawsuits be filed in the port of embarkation and also limits the time to settle a claim or file a lawsuit to one year. Attorney Joe McIntyre, Florida Boating Accident Lawyer can help you navigate the challenges of presenting a claim or lawsuit if you have been a victim of a cruise line incident.

There are a number of reasons that you may need to present legal action against a cruise line. The most common incidents include:

• Food-related illnesses
• Assault by crew members/other passengers
• Slip and fall accidents
• Injuries sustained during onboard or shore excursion activities
• Sexual assault/rape by crew members/other passengers

If you are injured while on a cruise ship, there are a couple of things that should be considered – liability and damages. It can be challenging to show that the cruise line is at fault so it is recommended that victims contact a lawyer to ensure they are receiving fair compensation. The traveler must be able to prove that the cruise line is liable for the accident and was negligent in protecting your safety. As the passenger, you must show that there was a danger on the ship and that the cruise line either knew or should have known about this danger. In order to prove your damages (medical expenses, lost wages or other losses) you must be able to prove all of the expenses you incurred as a result of the accident. It is advisable that you keep all of your receipts and also request records of any medical care obtained while on the cruise ship.

It is also important that you are aware of the statue of limitations that exists for collecting damages. All claims must be completed within one year and this is crucial information for all cruise line travelers to know. If you have been involved in a cruise line accident, contact Attorney McIntyre at FloridaInjuryLawyer.com for a free consultation.