Why Shouldn’t I Go on a Cruise?
With some of the top cruise lines based in Florida, like the Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, you may have heard about how cruise ships produce luxury experiences for their passengers as they adventure across the world.
Just like any other mode of transportation, accidents can occur anytime, anywhere. For example, a slippery deck can hurt your back, or a cruise ship’s encounter with another ship can seriously injure some passengers, ruining the entire cruise.
If you’ve been sick on a cruise or injured, contact Ehline Law immediately to seek legal help.
The United States Cruise Ship Industry
In 2016, the cruise ship industry in the United States delivered more than $126 billion to the US economy while generating more than a million jobs nationwide. The industry seems to be on the rise as a new workforce enters the job market. The older generation takes their retirement and travels across the continents.
Facilities on modern cruise ships include:
- Wifi
- Cruise cabins
- Main dining room
- Cafes
- Pool deck
- Spas
- Cinemas and more.
Essential Considerations When Going on Cruise Ships
Many people head on a cruise ship, hoping their trip will be pleasant. In many cases, this is true, as cruise ships have hundreds of crew ensuring an excellent experience for all passengers; however, some have an awful experience.
Ticket
Take your time to read the fine print on your ticket and see what your rights are as a passenger. Many cruise lines mention that if you get injured or sick during the trip due to the fault of the cruise line company, you have a year to take legal action.
Cruise Law
Since you boarded the cruise ship in the United States, the ship would have US law applicable to it. Well, that’s not the case.
Take a look at the flag on the vessel. Whatever flag you see on the boat, that country’s law applies to the ship.
Medical Care
Just because doctors are available on the ship does not mean you will get quality healthcare. The United States has thousands of clinics and hospitals, but medical malpractice is on the rise; it can happen on ships too.
Crimes
Whatever happens on land can happen on a ship. Assault, harassment, gunfight, robbery, and all sorts of crime can make their way to a boat, so lock your cabins, stay with your family, and don’t leave your children unattended.
Accidents and Disasters on a Cruise Ship
Look at some real-life examples of cruise ship accidents over the years.
RMS Titanic
The RMS Titanic left the world in awe as it had a collision with an iceberg in the North Atlantic due to the captain’s negligence resulting in more than 1,500 deaths from the 2,200 passengers on board.
Carnival Triumph
Carnival Triumph, or the “poop cruise” from the Carnival Cruise Line, saw a fire spread across the mighty ship with 3,500 passengers abandoning the boat. Although no one died, people felt sick from the bad sanitary conditions they had to endure while surviving until rescue came.
There are many such cases where passengers have experienced an uncomfortable trip, and here are some more real-life examples of disasters on a ship:
- Celebrity Mercury, 2010 – 400 passengers sick from Norovirus
- Sea Bourn, 2005 – Pirate ship attack in Somalia
- Northern Spirit, 2015 – One person dies from excessive intoxication
Duty of Care for Passengers
According to the Shipping Act of 1984, any passenger ship that departs from any port in the United States is responsible for the safety of its passengers from the embarkation day to when they reach their destination. Not only that, but the ship must also follow the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea guidelines and safety protocols.
The cruise lines’ responsibility is to ensure that their passengers arrive safely at their destination while protecting them from assault, sexual harassment, rape, abuse, negligent crew members, evil crew members, and other types of crimes.
For any passengers that disappear due to any incident, a cruise ship must perform a reasonable investigation, trace the passenger to when they were last seen, and report the disappearance.
A ship must always warn its passengers of any potential dangers when it’s entering rough waters, and a vessel must not serve alcohol to the point of intoxication. However, many cruise ships have no system to ensure that, as seen in the 2015 Northern Spirit example.
Breach of Duty of Care on Cruise Ships
Since it is the responsibility of cruise lines to protect their passengers, failure to do so will cause a breach of duty of care. The breach can occur when a passenger experiences injuries or gets hurt due to the fault of the cruise company.
A large cruise ship has the necessary safety equipment and lifeboats to protect passengers in an adverse event. However, we’ve seen in the past that even large ships lack the proper kit due to negligence.
Causation and Damages
Having an attorney is a great way to develop a strong case against a cruise company for any injuries or sickness during the trip; however, getting to prove that it was the cruise company’s negligence can be more complex than anticipated.
Recently, the California court dismissed a Canadian couple’s case who argued that they had gotten Covid-19 while traveling on a ship because it was tough for the couple. Their attorney to prove the crew’s negligence led to the virus spreading.
On the other hand, we’ve also seen cases where adults and young children on a cruise got sick from food poisoning, and the attorneys proved the crew’s negligence in the incident.
Our Los Angeles cruise ship attorneys can help you establish a genuine cause and effect, if there is one, and get you fair compensation for your loss. Experienced attorneys can help file claims for medical treatment, cruise ship tickets, lost income, medication, cost of holiday, pain and suffering damages, and other types of affirmations relevant to the case.
Can You File a Lawsuit Against a Cruise Line?
Yes, you can file a lawsuit and get claims for any damages, injuries, or illnesses aboard the ship during your sea travel; however, to have a case against the cruise company, you need to prove the following:
- The cruise line had a duty of care
- The cruise line breached their duty
- The breach of duty led to the injuries
- The injury led to damages.
Contact our Los Angeles cruise ship attorneys for help if you have gotten injured on a cruise.
Do You Need a Superior Cruise Ship Attorney in Los Angeles, California?
You do not need a lawyer to file claims against another party; however, having a lawyer look into your claims makes things a lot easier.
Duty of Reasonable Care
When it comes to filing lawsuits against cruise lines, the vast majority of the claims get denied because the plaintiff does not have a solid legal defense. Fact, there is a duty of care; the law states reasonable and sometimes heightened respect for cruise ship common carriers to passengers.
But it can become difficult to prove a duty exists if you don’t get the best California cruise ship attorney legal services.
For example, what if you experience the nightmare of being injured in a cruise elevator? (clothes get stuck, slip and fall at the pool entry area, etc.) Did you think travel insurance would cover your financial losses, pain, and suffering? Think again!
Shore Excursions
Most cruises stop on different country shores to let passengers disembark. During this time, cruise companies make some side income by arranging private tours and activities from independent contractors for the passengers.
Accidents can happen on such tours. In most cases, cruise companies deny claims since independent contractors are not covered by the law; however, our Los Angeles cruise ship attorneys have vast experience in alternate theories and can give the proper legal representation.
Evaluate Claims
When people apply for claims, they either ask for a meager amount since they don’t know what the company owes them or ask for too high, risking allegations denial. We can help determine your claims as the company may owe you more than you think since the claim value depends on many factors, including the incident’s destination, negligence, violations, and more.
Travel Tips
Reading cruise reviews before buying a trip can help avoid an unpleasant experience, but we’re not talking about these tips.
Besides filing claims, you can reach out to an attorney to get some legal travel tips to know your rights. You are getting aware before the trip can help you be calm and take the necessary steps to protect yourself immediately without any delays in case of any incident.
Ehline Law -Best Attorneys to Help Fight Cruise Lines
Ehline Law is a leading personal injury law firm offering California cruise ship attorney legal services to all who need legal representation.
Here are a few reasons to consider Ehline Law over other law firms for legal help.
Duty to Protect
Michael Ehline, the founder of Ehline Law, has spent most of his life protecting the citizens of the United States as a Former US Marine Trial Lawyer. After an honorable discharge, Michael took on the duty to protect the citizens by starting his injury law firm. With compassion and the responsibility to watch at the law firm’s core, you know you’ll be getting the best possible legal representation.
Washington DC Lobbyist
Michael is a dedicated Washington DC lobbyist and remains active by lobbying Congress on behalf of victims and has helped the International Cruise Victim organization by lobbying for them, giving them the proper legal support. It would help if you had a law firm that cares, and Ehline Law was built on these principles.
Results
Besides the cruise accident cases, Ehline Law has numerous wins outside and inside the court, with our attorneys recovering more than $150 million in compensation for over 3,000 happy clients. In our quest for justice, we have won cases against Princess Cruises, Carnival, and many others, smoking out money for cruise ship victims from the Port of Long Beach to Miami, Florida. (Employees, crew, and passengers).
Thankfully, here are a few settlements we have won for our clients for you to view:
- Doe v Doe – Cruise ship passenger assault ($4.8 million in compensation)
- Passenger v Cruise line – Slip and fall ($150,000 in salary)
- Lanham v Doe – Motorcycle accident ($10.5 million in salary.)
Awards
Our attorneys have won several awards, giving us the confidence to take on any legal challenge that comes our way, and some of our awards include:
- Superlawyers Rising Star Award (2006 – 2015)
- Premier Personal Injury Attorneys (2015)
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers
- Best Attorneys of America.
Making Headlines
Not every day do you see a law firm getting positive media attention. Still, Ehline Law has made it on the list as our attorneys remain active in the legal space by contributing to the California Bar Journal and creating awareness on legal issues on different media platforms like CNN, Los Angeles Times, and more.
Wide Range of Resources
From Antarctica during the pandemic to sunny California during summer, our flexible, aggressive cruise ship accident choosing a law firm to fight your legal battles is no easy task to navigate. You’ll need a firm with vast resources its attorneys can draw on. Our lawyers have access to the right contacts to give any legal case enough firepower to spearhead victory.
Contact us at (213) 596-9642 to speak to our Los Angeles cruise ship attorneys. We are always ready to assist you and your close family members through these dark days during your civil case proceedings!
