Cruise Ship Accidents

Cruise ships are more or less floating resorts, maintaining restaurants, entertainment venues, cabins, social spaces, and a host of other facilities on the sea (or other body of water). Since cruise ships replicate life on the land, the same risks you face while at home also exist on the water. Moreover, the nature of sea-travel raises a number of new risks and challenges. In sum, there are many ways someone may be injured on a cruise ship.

Cruise lines, through their staff and contractors, have a duty to ensure passenger safety. If there is a failure to operate within the bounds of this duty, serious injuries may occur. The most common accidents on a cruise ship include slip and fall accidents, falls from broken or loose handrails, trip and fall accidents, and other accidents caused by dangerous premises—all injuries that occur outside of the cruise ship context. Other injuries are more specific to the industry, such as food poisoning and illness on the ship, which could spread and affect many passengers.

Other injuries could be caused by other passengers, or crewmembers and staff acting outside the scope of their employment. Injuries from violence and sexual assault on a cruise ship can hardly be considered “accidents.” Since a cruise line is responsible for passenger safety, it is unacceptable for negligent security to result in passenger injuries.

Obtaining counsel when bringing suit against a cruise company is vital. Cruise lines typically include strong liability waiver language in all ticket purchases, which can greatly reduce the areas where a cruise line can be found liable. Moreover, cruise lines will generally be represented by insurance companies that will vigorously defend any claim against the insured. or offer low-dollar settlements to help end a case without the hassle of defending themselves in court.

It is difficult to go up against these companies and their legal teams on your own, especially if your only information about what your claim is worth comes from the cruise line being sued. In order to get a better understanding of your legal rights, contact the experienced attorneys at Neumann Law Group for a free consultation.