Cruise Ship Injuries: Could You Be Compensated?
When you go on a cruise, you expect good accommodations, excellent food, and time exploring the ship and ports. What you don't expect is to suffer severe or lasting injuries from your experience on board. There are specific injuries that would not occur if your cruise ship was not doing its part to ensure the safety and health of all guests.
Here are some common issues that your cruise ship company could by liable for:
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can be common cruise ships. Every ship should follow strict policies of hygiene, but because ships travel to so many countries and resupply with food, some bacteria and viruses can slip under the radar. If food is not stored correctly or if is not prepared well, customers suffer. Usually, many people will have the same problems, resulting a poor experience for hundreds of cruise ship guests.
Lack of Safety Equipment
Thankfully, emergencies are few and far between on ships, but they still occur. If you are injured because of missing railings, missing caution signs, lack of life preservers or floatation devices, or missing fire extinguishers, you will be eligible for compensation. All water vehicle should have sufficient life boats and preservers for all passengers, and in the event of an emergency, those who are injured or killed because of lack of preparation are victims of negligence.
There should be some sort of medical response team and plan in place for true medical emergencies while on board. if you or your loved one suffers a medical emergency and cannot get basic first-aid care, this is another oversight of the cruise line.
Your cruise ship should also brief all passengers on ship safety and what to do in an emergency. if you were not given this briefing and your lack of knowledge leads to injury, you may also have a claim.
Dangerous Activities
On board entertainment is the life blood of the cruise adventure. You want to see dancing, magic shows, performances, and comedies. You also like to engage in movies on deck, on-ship rock climbing, sliding, and child care. However, if the ship promotes activities and entertainment and does not prepare for natural dangers, you have a claim.
For example, if you child is injured while in the ship's care and it turns out the person in charge of your child has a criminal record or has no training with children (such as CPR), you may be able to file a lawsuit to collect damages for medical expenses and pain and suffering. Similarly, if you are rock climbing on board, the safety equipment and supervision of the activity should be sufficient.
Many ships will have customers sign a waiver to prevent lawsuits, but in some cases, waivers are not iron clad, especially in the case of direct negligence or if many people are injured in a similar way due to oversights of safety.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Your ship deck might be slippery when wet, and most ships will warn you about deck slip hazards. Some safety officers may even prevent visits to the deck when it is raining. However, slips and falls can happen anywhere, especially if your ship hits rough water. Dining rooms, suites, and stairs should be maintained well enough to prevent most accidents. Community areas, like in on ship casinos and shopping areas, are even more essential to maintain, simply because these are high-traffic areas.
For more information, contact a maritime lawyer in your area. There are special laws governing sea vessels, and these are often difficult to decipher on your own. Don't let the complexity of your case prevent you from getting the compensation you deserve.