Cruise Ship Injury Attorney
CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS
Passengers on cruise lines are particularly vulnerable to serious injury and even wrongful death. Deck areas on passenger ships may look safe and you wouldn't expect them to be slippery when wet, but they often are. There are raised thresholds at the bottom of doorways on ships that passengers don't expect because they don't exist on shore. Cruise ships crowd a lot of activity into a little space. Hard to see tripping hazards on crowded decks cause serious trip and fall injuries, especially for senior citizens who are simply not as stable as younger passengers. With 3,500 passengers and 1,500 crew members in close quarters, a cruise ship becomes a breeding ground for food poisoning, MRSA, and infectious diseases.
Cruise ship disasters are rare, but a recent tragedy occurred when the CROWN PRINCESS severely listed coming into port off the Florida coast. Hundreds of passnegers were seriously injured and one was killed in the July 2006 incident.
In a November 2010 incident, a fire in the engine room of the CARNIVAL SPLENDOR left that mega cruise ship crippled an powerless off the coast of Mexico. Terrified passnegers were disembarked November 11, 2010 in San Diego. Only time will tell how many of them have suffered psychological trauma or will fall ill due to food poisioning or unsanitary conditions.
Passengers on cruise lines have also been sexually harassed and sexually assaulted by crew members. Shore excursions are part of the fun of cruising, but can be dangerous when operated by unskilled and poorly trained "independent contractors" hired by the cruise line. And while falling over board is rare, it is most often fatal.
All passenger cruise lines have a contractual statute of limitations stated on your ticket. Most cruise lines allow only one year from the date of injury or death for you or your family to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death. The ticket also limits the place where you can file suit, often to one city or county in the world! Regardless which cruise line you were on, where the accident happened, or where you live the lawyers at the Naylor Law Group can answer your questions, advise you or your rights, and help you find an experienced maritime personal injury lawyer to get you the compensation you deserve.
CRUISE SHIP CREW
Crew members such as waiters, cabin stewards, maintenance workers and officers of the ship are covered under the Jones Act. Cruise ship crew members are injured in many ways: heavy lifting, climbing, slip-and-fall, repetitive strain, painting elevated spaces, crawling through tight quarters, assault and battery and even sexual assault. Crew members work very long hours, seven days a week for up to ten consecutive months at a time.
Injured crew members face special problems because they are far from home and dependent on the cruise line for support and medical care. When the claims adjuster say's "if you want surgery, you will have to get it back home in Jamaica", who will you call for advice? How will you learn of your rights? When the cruise line tells you you're covered by an "Arbitration Agreement" you never heard of, and that you will have to make your claim in Panama, The Bahamas, or some other distant country that does not recognize your Jones Act rights, who will fight to restore those right for you?
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