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A cruise is supposed to be a relaxing getaway from the stresses of everyday life. Unfortunately, the injuries that occur on the mainland during everyday life sometimes follow us on board. There are many potential hazards on cruise ships that can injure you and there are many causes. Luckily, rules and regulations enforced by the US Coast Guard and Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) have been established to help prevent injuries and fatal accidents at sea. However, injuries can happen even with these rules in place, and you should be prepared.

Common cruise ship accidents include assault by crew members or other passengers, food poisoning, sexual battery, slip and falls, trip and falls, and injuries on excursions. Slip and fall injuries are very common and occur on cruise ships just as easily as they do on land. Several serious fires, resulting in injuries, have also been reported in recent years aboard cruise ships all over the world. Passengers may be trampled during a fire if the crew is unable to manage evacuation at the exits. If the fire is so intense that passengers must abandon ship, they can injure themselves as they depart from the ship to enter a life boat. Passengers may suffer from burns if they are close enough to the flames, but most fire injuries happen during the escape. Passengers may also suffer injuries at the pool, in the gym, or as a result of navigational errors made by the crew. If a passenger visits a doctor while onboard the ship they may become victims of medical malpractice.

The list of possible injuries is never-ending. Cruise ships have as many passengers as small cities, and come with all of the threats and possible I injuries that small cities do. Thankfully, cruise lines and their ships are regulated by maritime law and must adhere to these rules to guarantee the well-being of passengers and crew. If you are still injured, despite the laws put in place for your safety, you should alert the crew and ship’s physician right away, photograph the scene, including anything that may have contributed to the injury, take note of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any possible witnesses, especially passengers and crew that you have been in touch with, photograph the injury (if there is visual evidence), and request copies of your medical records and other documentation prior to the end of the trip. If you suffer a severe injury and you’re well offshore or visiting a foreign country, request that the cruise company return you to the US for medical attention. Make sure you hold on to all paperwork from the cruise and make a copy of the incident report. Cruise ships do have a legal responsibility for your safety, but are very reluctant to pay for any damages. Retain as much information as possible and consult your ticket to see if any restrictions apply to file a legal claim.

In the end, we should all be cautious on a cruise line. If an injury does occur, remember to get as much information as possible, and contact an attorney experienced in tourist and cruise related accidents. Don’t let the injury award you deserve sail off into the sunset.

2 Comments

  1. Gravatar for CruiseMates
    CruiseMates

    Why does Google News even follow these obvious ambulance chasing lawyer solicitations? This is not news, its an advertisement for this lawyers services.

    "If an injury does occur, remember to contact an attorney experienced cruise related accidents. Don’t let the injury award you deserve sail off into the sunset."

    Thanks Google News!

  2. Gravatar for Gerry McGill
    Gerry McGill

    If you have ever taken a cruise did you read all the pages of your passenger ticket? It's 10 to 15 pages of fine print and disclaimers that the cruise lines use to take away passengers rights and limit their liability. Several examples: 1. Although the general statute of limitations for filing claims in maritime cases is 3 years from the date of the injury, cruise lines are allowed to shorten that time to 1 year. 2. Cruise lines are allowed to specify only one place in the U.S. where they can be sued. For example, Carnival Cruise Lines can only be sued in Federal Court in Miami, FL no matter where you bought the ticket, boarded the ship, or where the injury occurred. 3. The cruise lines are not liable for the malpractice of the ship's doctor as he or she is deemed an "independent contractor". 4. The Cruise Lines are not liable for injuries on shoreside excursions even though they are paid for through the ship's purser. Most shoreside excursions are run by "independent contractior or foreign companies. 5. There are no claims for emotional distress unless the passenger suffers a personal injury. So it the toilets don't work or the ship skips scheduled ports, the passengers are out of luck. The list goes on and on, but suffice it to say that no other industry enjoys the right to protect itself more than the Cruise Line Industry. And perhaps the worst of all, the ships are of foreign registry and employ mostly foreign nationals as crew members so very little of the revenue generated stays in the U.S.

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