What's a Passenger To Do? Steps to Take When Injured on a Cruise

October 27, 2012

Taking a vacation on a cruise can be an exciting adventure. Cruises are available across the country and can offer passengers trips to tropical destinations or provide the opportunity to view icebergs and polar bears in their natural habitat.

Although these vacations can provide a much needed getaway, some passengers are beginning to question what happens when that adventure results in an injury. Unfortunately, injuries can and do happen while enjoying a cruise vacation.

Accidents can range from the tragic, like the Costa Concordia accident off the Italian coast, to a common slip-and-fall injury. Whatever the cause, it is important to know that the cruise ship company may be responsible for the costs of the injury.

The legal theory that allows an injured person to hold the cruise line liable for injuries is called premises liability.

Common Cruise Injuries

Premises liability cases can arise in a wide array of situations, most typically when the cruise ship failed to provide a safe environment. The types of injuries that can occur while on a cruise vary. They can include:
-Slip-and-fall injuries
-Wrongful death
-Infectious disease and airborne illnesses
-Sexual assault and rape

If a passenger experiences one of these or another injury while on a cruise due to the negligence of employees of the cruise line, compensation may be available to cover medical and rehabilitative expenses, as well as other financial harm stemming from the injury, such as lost income.

Steps to Take if Injured While on a Cruise

For a passenger who has been injured during a cruise and is looking for compensation to cover the cost of the injury, the first step is to review the ticket. Cruise ship tickets often have information regarding how the cruise line handles lawsuits within the ticket contract. Carnival cruise lines, for example, requires that the company must receive notification of any injury, event or illness that may give rise to a claim within 30 days or six months of the event that led to the lawsuit. The time variation depends on the type of lawsuit a passenger pursues.

According to this contract, if notification is not received within that time period the passenger loses the ability to recover compensation for any damages or injury he or she suffered while on the cruise.

Since many cruise lines have time restrictions in place that can make pursuing legal relief difficult, it is important to contact a legal professional promptly after receiving an injury.

In addition to contract clauses outlining how much time a passenger has to file a claim, knowing which laws apply can be difficult. If you or a loved one is injured in a cruise ship accident, it is important to contact an experienced cruise ship accidents and injuries attorney to better ensure your legal rights and remedies are protected.

Article provided by Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor
Visit us at http://www.cruiseinjuryhotline.com