Cruise ship travel is a popular vacation choice for many individuals, couples, and families. Cruise ship lines can offer safe voyages that provide guests with an experience they will always cherish. But on the other side of that, a terrible incident may occur on the ship if a guest was to get hurt and seriously injure themselves. Sometimes, the calamity happened due to negligence on behalf of the cruise line. Victims of cruise ship accidents may want to know what they can do to seek repayment for their medical expenses that accumulated due to the injuries.
Q: How can I hold the cruise line company responsible for my accident?
A: The number one way to seek compensation from the cruise line company, is to show exactly how their negligence caused your accident. For example, you may have to show proof that a staircase was cracked or there was a slippery floor without wet floor signs nearby, which caused the accident. The cruise line may have been behind on maintenance or attempted to save money by putting a temporary fix on a hazard. Unfortunately, this decision is what can lead to many accidents for guests who simply wanted to have a good time.
Q: What is a cruise ship employee’s duty in regards to guest safety?
A: Workers of cruise ships must ensure a reasonably safe environment for all guests on board. If a guest became hurt in an accident or fell ill, these victims have the right to seek restitution for the wrongdoing. Employees must take a report of the accident if they see it themselves, or hear directly from the guest. An employee is to get their supervisor or manager to handle the situation if they are unable to.
Q: What if I got sick, am I still able to file a lawsuit?
A: Depending on the circumstances of the illness, a guest who became sick may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the cruise company. A single incident or widespread illness could have been the result of poor protocols related to food safety. A guest can get sick if exposed to not only bad food, but from exposure to chemicals too if sufficient ventilation is an issue.
Q: Does the ship location when the accident happened impact my lawsuit?
A: Yes, the area in which the ship was at the time of the injury accident can be a factor, and a complicated one at that. When cruise ships travel, there are a variety of laws they must follow, including United States law, maritime law, and laws for the country in which the ship was registered. Without legal guidance, these laws can become confusing for the victim of a cruise ship accident to understand. Cruise ships may use this mix of laws to impede the guest’s ability to pursue restitution for the incident. Where things can get blurry is when the laws for a foreign country traveled to, do not offer the same protection that United States law can for guest’s rights.
Source: Personal Injury Lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, Rasmussen & Miner