More and more people are taking cruise ship vacations every year, where these ships promise relaxation, safety, and the chance to explore several different areas while all of the trip details are handled by the cruise ship.
However, there have been serious injuries reported from cruise ship accidents, and vacationers should be aware of the potential dangers. Injuries can stem from problems with the ship, when either something breaks down or is neglected, causing people to get hurt. In more serious incidents those that work on the ship severely and purposely harm passengers. There have also been numerous reports of foodborne cruise ship illness and food poisoning on some of these ships. There have been serious indications that there are not enough safety protocols in place to protect the many passengers on these ships, particularly given all of the activities that are provided for.
Cruise ship accidents: Who is liable?
When someone is injured on a cruise ship, the company can be held liable for that injury, regardless of whether a specific employee, or food-related issue, was responsible for the injury. However, dealing with litigating against cruise ship companies (who have a lot of resources to fight any allegations of negligence) can be daunting, necessitating the assistance of an experienced attorney to help pursue any claims.
Cruise Ship Contract Woes
Although each state provides for a statute of limitations, limiting how long you have after a particular incident to file a personal injury claim, when you purchase a ticket on a cruise ship, you are effectively signing a contract with that cruise ship company that governs your rights related to that trip. It is crucial that you read the fine details of these provisions that govern your trip, as many of them severely limit the time you have to bring a claim against the company for any injuries or wrongful death associated with your trip (sometimes limiting your window to only a few months after your injury to bring a lawsuit).
Many of them also limit where you can bring your lawsuit, and what specific law applies, forcing you to file in one of the major cities where the corporation is located as opposed to your own state or the city you started your cruise trip in and even a particular court, to the exclusion of the courts and laws of any other county or state. In these circumstances, your choices are typically to comply, or prove fraud. All of these specific provisions can make it challenging to protect your rights if you have been injured on a cruise ship, necessitating the assistance of an experienced personal injury attorney.
Harrell Nowak
Personal injuries happen all the time simply because someone else was careless in what they did or how they acted. The wrongdoer simply taking reasonable and common sense steps could have prevented many of these personal injuries. The personal injury attorneys at Harrell & Nowak have helped many victims in New Orleans, Kenner, Metairie, and throughout Louisiana obtain financial compensation for their injuries. Our accident lawyers will work to ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive a fair recovery if your injury has been caused by some else not being responsible.