Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer

A cruise can be a fun vacation, but it can also be dangerous. From assaults on board to slip and fall incidents, there are many ways to get hurt. If you or a loved one got injured on vacation, contact a cruise ship injury lawyer for results.

What Is a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer?

A cruise ship injury lawyer is a personal injury lawyer who represents victims of accidents and injuries that occur on cruise ships. They are well-versed in maritime law, a complicated branch of the law that requires special knowledge and experience.

What Do Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers Do?

Cruise ship injury lawyers advise and represent people harmed on cruise ships. They often represent passengers, but crew members can also be injured and require legal representation.

Some of the things a cruise ship lawyer can do for their clients include:

• Offering a free case review
• Determining liability
• Determining which laws apply
• Interpreting and explaining cruise ship passenger contract language
• Providing advice about what steps to take next
• Explaining the legal options
• Negotiating with an insurer for a better settlement
• Filing a lawsuit against a cruise line or negligent individual
• Negotiating a settlement out of court
• Taking the case to trial

When Do You Need a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer?

If you were hurt in an accident or the victim of a crime while on a cruise ship vacation, you must talk to a qualified lawyer. Legal advice is essential even if you were off the ship when the incident occurred. The cruise line could be considered negligent in what happened to you and might owe you compensation.

What Are the Benefits of Working with a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer?

Getting compensated for your injury is the most crucial reason to hire a lawyer after a cruise ship incident. An injury incurs costs, from medical care to lost wages and the intangibles like emotional suffering. The cruise line should be made to pay for the harm you suffered.

You might consider seeking compensation without legal assistance, but it’s not a good idea. A lawyer, specifically a cruise ship lawyer, can provide significant benefits:

• Expertise in maritime law and cruise ship contract language
• A greater chance of getting maximum compensation
• Someone to deal with the insurance company on your behalf
• An expert advocate who does all the leg work so that you can heal

Recovering from an injury is a difficult time. You might be confused about what, if anything, you should do about the incident. A lawyer can provide clarity, even if you do not take legal action.

What Kinds of Accidents Happen on Cruise Ships?

A cruise ship is like a floating city, meaning almost anything can happen. These are some of the common incidents that lead to injuries or even deaths on cruise ships:

• Slip and fall injuries
• Falling objects
• Falls overboard
• Ship fires
• Waterslide or pool accidents
• Recreational activity injuries
• Illnesses and infections, such as norovirus
• Malpractice during onboard medical care
• Accidents on the dock
• Injuries that occur on shore excursions
• Assault, including sexual assault

What to Do if You Are Injured on a Cruise Ship

For your health and safety and to ensure you have a chance to seek compensation later, it’s important to follow these steps after a cruise ship accident: 

• Seek medical care if you suffer an injury. Cruise ships have medical professionals on board.
• If you are physically able, document the accident immediately. If possible, take pictures and get contact information from witnesses.
• File an accident report on the ship. Provide as much detail as possible and get a copy of the report.
• Get information about the accident from any crew member involved in the incident and who handled or took your report.
• Finally, contact a cruise ship lawyer as soon as possible for additional advice and steps to take.

Can You Sue a Cruise Ship?

Determining whether you are eligible to sue is one of the most important reasons to talk to a cruise ship lawyer. In many cases, accidents and injuries sustained on cruise ships involve negligence. That means the cruise line is responsible and can be held liable for any damages you sustained.

To make a case for the cruise line’s liability, you must prove that your injury could and should have been prevented. An example might be if the company hired an unqualified fitness instructor, and you got hurt during their class. In other words, the cruise line was aware of a safety issue but did not correct it.

Examples of Lawsuits Against Cruise Ships

The number of lawsuits cruise lines face is an indication of how often they are liable for incidents that lead to injuries, illness, and even emotional harm:

• Passengers sued Carnival Cruise Line after a fire on board left their ship adrift at sea for several days in 2013. They sued for physical and emotional suffering. Passengers were on board for days longer than expected without working toilets, air conditioning, or cooked food.

• A man filed a lawsuit against Carnival in 2022 after suffering a severe injury to his finger. He blamed the faulty operation of the glass balcony door in his cabin that slammed shut on his finger.

• In 2021, four passengers on a Disney cruise sued the company because they contracted coronavirus on board. The passengers claimed that Disney didn’t allow people with compromised health to reschedule their trips for after the pandemic and didn’t have appropriate safety protocols on the ship.

• A passenger on a Carnival ship was sexually assaulted on board by a crew member and sued the cruise line. A jury awarded the unnamed assault victim $10.2 million.

How to Find a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer

A personal recommendation is a great way to find a good lawyer. However, you might not know anyone who sued a cruise line. Look for personal injury lawyers with provable experience working with and winning for clients with cruise ship injuries.

What Should I Ask a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer?

Be prepared for your initial consultation with a lawyer by gathering all the information and evidence you have for the accident. This includes any photographs, your cruise ship ticket or contract, the accident report, and any information you got from witnesses.

It’s important to be prepared with questions to make a completely informed decision about what to do next. Here are some of the most important questions to ask a lawyer:

• Do I have a negligence case?
• What other evidence do I need?
• Who is liable?
• What are my legal options?
• How much compensation can I get?
• Should I sue or settle for insurance compensation?
• If I sue, what are my chances of getting a settlement or going to trial and winning?

Contact a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer Immediately

Talk to a lawyer immediately after experiencing an injury on a cruise ship vacation. Many ships include language on tickets, limiting the time passengers have to take legal action. You might have just a few months to file a lawsuit.

A cruise can be a great experience that can quickly become a nightmare if you get injured. Cruise ship injury lawyers are your best advocates for getting justice fast.