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Home » Areas of Practice » Personal Injury

Cruise Ship

Cruise Lines and their Vessels are governed by Maritime Law and must meet a comprehensive set of Coast Guard Rules and Regulations to ensure both passenger and crew safety.

Cruise Ship Accidents

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. It is commonplace for cruise ship companies to be careless when it comes to ensuring the safety of those on the ship. Many passengers and crew have fallen victim to injury and even death because of a cruise line’s negligence. Injuries happen when the cruise line fails to have appropriate safety guidelines in place and when crewmembers ignore safety those guidelines. Minimal security has encouraged attacks on passengers and crew. Frequent accidents on cruise ships include falls, faulty equipment, sexual assault by crew or passengers, food poisoning, and injuries while on an excursion or other stops on land.

What you should do if you are injured on a cruise

  1. Alert the crew and ship’s physician right away.
  2. Photograph the scene, including anything that may have contributed to the injury.
  3. Take note of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of any possible witnesses, especially passengers and crew that you have been in touch with.
  4. .Photograph the injury if there is visual evidence.
  5. Request copies of your medical records and other documentation prior to the end of the trip.
  6. 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.
  7. Hold on to all paperwork from the cruise.
  8. Make a copy of the incident report.

Things to keep in mind

It is very well possible that a cruise line is responsible for the injuries you suffered onboard the ship. If you are hurt away from the ship, it is still wise to thoroughly document everything that occurred. Don’t forget you’re being watched; most cruise ships are stocked with video cameras that may have recorded your accident on tape. Usually, the cruise ship staff is required to file reports on all injured passengers. Employees who will keep an eye on you include the cabin steward, purser, waiters, bartenders, doctors and other medical assistants, etc. Get a second medical opinion as soon as you return home because the medical care onboard a cruise ship is generally not top quality. The Coast Guard does not standardize the quality of medical care onboard cruise ships. Medical accommodations are rather sparse on cruise ships and are similar to a walk-in clinic with the bare essentials; some do not even have the ability to take x-rays.

Check the back of your cruise ticket for a contract containing such information as rules and regulations and liability information. Read the ticket carefully, and retain it for future reference. Cruise line contracts contain specific limitations regarding the time and place which a claim can be filed. Get in touch with a lawyer immediately, and refrain from speaking to the cruise line claims people until you’ve sought out an attorney.

Recent settlements

$1.76 million | Dade County, Florida

Admiralty/maritime: wave runner accident on Lake Placid where an eight-year-old boy suffered a fractured leg. His mother also suffered a non-union fracture of the tibia, leading to the development of chronic osteomyelitis. This required a bone-lengthening corticotomy.

$300,000 | Hillsborough County, Florida

Boating accident: 44-year-old woman injured her lower leg and fractured her right wrist. Two operations were required to fix the problem.

$60,000 | Dade County, Florida

Cruise ship accident: 79-year-old cruise ship passenger was violently forced out of a malfunctioning door. He fractured his hip in the process.