Cruise ship accidents and injuries occur far more frequently than many people realize. Unfortunately, these accidents and injuries are often serious and quite complex, both in terms of their impact on victims’ lives as well as the legal implications of seeking restitution for injuries suffered. You may need the help of an experienced cruise ship accident lawyer.
Given the nature of these large ships, there are many opportunities for an accident to occur while a passenger onboard a cruise ship. And while accidents happen, many of the injuries and deaths could be avoided with better training of personnel and maintenance on the ships and its facilities.
LMK Legal has extensive experience representing victims of cruise ship accidents in Miami. Allow us to help you unravel the complexities of this niche area of maritime law so that you can seek the compensation you deserve for the injuries you or a loved one suffered aboard a cruise ship.
There are more than 20 million cruise ship passengers every year, with 2017 seeing the most cruise ship passengers ever with 25.8 million. With so many people sailing the seas worldwide, and questionable training and safety standards on some vessels, it should come as no surprise that accidents and injuries happen often.
Given the nature of these cruise ships, the injuries suffered are often catastrophic. A cruise ship accident can occur anytime and anywhere, but some of the most common accidents on these vessels include:
You should be able to enjoy your cruise with a reasonable expectation that the cruise operator will keep you safe from such behaviors, whether they’re coming from other customers or cruise staff.
These types of accidents can result in catastrophic injuries, serious emotional trauma, or even wrongful death. Unsecured storage of any supplies by negligent crewmembers can lead to serious accidents as the ship travels across the sea. Ships do have the ability to lose power, leaving passengers immobile and only able to float around until help finally arrives.
Cruise ship accident victims are more prone to receive critical injuries, such as:
You can sue if you fall on a cruise ship, including if the accident happens while getting aboard or disembarking. To successfully receive compensation for damages, however, you must be able to prove that the cruise ship operator was responsible for a legally compensable injury. Achieving this as effectively and efficiently as possible will typically require collaborating with a talented cruise ship injury attorney to gather evidence and develop a robust legal strategy.
Broadly speaking, cruise ship operators are legally obligated to provide safe conditions for their passengers. If the conditions that caused your fall were the result of negligence on the part of the cruise line or its staff, you may have a legally actionable claim. After seeking any necessary medical care for yourself, we recommend consulting with the seasoned cruise ship accident lawyer at LMK Legal so that we can begin evaluating the merits of your claim.
Filing a claim against a cruise line will look different from case to case since every accident is unique. Sometimes, this process can look identical to filing any other civil lawsuit, and, in other cases, it can be complicated by maritime laws and federal regulations. It all depends on the nature of your accident and where exactly it took place.
Regardless of the particulars of your case, the basic steps for injured passengers to file a claim for a cruise ship injury will typically proceed as follows:
Being injured or falling sick when far away from home can be an extremely stressful, isolating, and scary experience. When it happens in the middle of the open ocean, those feelings are only exacerbated.
If you are hurt while you are the lawful passenger of a cruise ship, the cruise line has a duty to provide you with basic medical care and such other assistance as you require. Any major cruise line will have medical facilities and some medical personnel available on board, and this should serve as your frontline first aid resource. Be sure to fully document your injuries and your interactions with the cruise line’s medical staff.
You should also seek the independent opinion of a medical professional who is not employed by the cruise line at your earliest possible opportunity. Seeing to your own immediate medical needs is of paramount importance as the first step after any accident. Make sure you’re also keeping detailed records of events as they happened and any medication or treatment you received. Your lawyer can use this information as part of building a solid claim.
The majority of personal injuries that occur on cruise ships will fall under the jurisdiction of maritime law, a special set of laws applying to incidents that occur at sea. This can be a confusing and intimidating prospect due to the inclusion of unique concepts that are irrelevant or nonexistent in other court systems, such as the idea of international waters.
These contracts will sometimes include a “forum selection clause.” This is a special contractual instrument that specifies where lawsuits must be filed, which is usually in Florida in the case of US cruise operators. Note that these contracts will also sometimes place limitations on your options for legal redress, such as specifying a timeframe in which to notify the cruise operator and to file a lawsuit. It can be critical to act quickly if you’re injured while on a cruise.
If you are a passenger or crew member who has been the victim of a cruise ship injury and wish to seek compensation, it’s likely that you will find yourself in need of powerful legal help. For help navigating the intricacies of maritime law and guiding your injury claim to a successful settlement, contact the experienced personal injury and cruise ship accident team at LMK Legal.
Working out of our main office in Palmetto Bay, LMK Legal is ready to represent anyone who has been injured while at sea with a cruise operator and is in need of powerful legal solutions.
Unfortunately, cruise ship accidents are more common than many people realize when they’re shopping for a fun and unique vacation option and start taking cruises into consideration. Due to the unstoppable mass of cruise ships, the tight quarters on board, and the many inherent dangers of sea travel, the injuries resulting from such accidents can be catastrophic or even fatal.
With tens of millions of passengers embarking on cruise ships annually, a need for highly effective legal representation in this domain has emerged.
At LMK Legal, we bring over a decade of experience in personal injury, business litigation, and maritime law to your side to develop powerful and fully personalized legal strategies that can meet the unique demands of these cases. Managing partner Laurence (“Larry”) M. Krutchik is an AV Preeminent® rated attorney, reflecting the firm’s industry-leading ethical standards and legal abilities.
We understand the complexity of cruise ship accident cases and that legally actionable injuries aboard cruise ships can take a variety of forms, from common slip-and-fall accidents to assaults or mishandled outbreaks of deadly diseases. These incidents can result in a wide range of serious physical and mental consequences for victims, including brain trauma, bone fractures, and burns, as well as emotional damage.
When facing these difficult and sensitive issues, you need a dedicated legal team with a track record of success in similar cases. Larry and his team not only strive to resolve disputes as efficiently and effectively as possible, but they are also prepared to litigate aggressively if need be.
LMK Legal is committed to pursuing claims on behalf of injured plaintiffs and the loved ones left behind from wrongful deaths. They can offer highly effective representation in such cases involving cruise ships. We strive to secure the greatest possible results for our clients, no matter what the unique circumstances of their cruise ship injury may be.
If you’re in need of a personal injury, maritime law, and business litigation attorney who will put your needs first and provide powerful, practical advice, contact LMK Legal today for a confidential, no-pressure consultation. Let us assist you in seeking the justice and compensation you’re entitled to by law.