Personal Injury While Aboard a Cruise Ship
Cruise ships are typically a place where families can go to escape from the monotony of daily life while relaxing on the open seas. But what happens when either you or someone you love becomes injured while on a cruise ship? Although cruise ship companies would like you to believe that you sign away your right to recover damages for your injuries, it is simply not the case. Though, when an accident does occur on a cruise ship, it is imperative that you contact an experienced personal injury lawyer that can quickly and efficiently gather information that will be pivotal to helping you and your family recover damages for your injuries.
It is important to understand that just because you are injured aboard a cruise ship does not mean, as a matter of fact, that it was your own fault or that it was the negligence of the cruise ship company that caused your injury. When determining fault when an accident aboard a cruise ship has occurred, all of the facts and circumstances must be analyzed. Although cruise ship travelers should be aware of their surroundings and take care to ensure that they stay safe while on board or on a shore excursion, it is the duty of the cruise ship company or shore excursion provider to ensure that they do everything that they can to keep you safe.
Premises Liability and Cruise Ship Injuries
When business owners invite you on to their property, they are generally responsible for accidents that are caused by their own neglect while you are present. The extent to which property owners are responsible for the injuries incurred by those that come on to their property is determined by looking at why the hurt individual was on the property. Property owners have the lowest duty to protect and keep safe those who are trespassing. Individuals that enter someone’s property as a social guest are generally afforded more protection by law as the property owner is typically required to ensure that guests are aware of any hidden dangers that lurk around the property. Lastly and most importantly, the highest protection is afforded to guests that come on to a property for the purpose of conducting business. Property owners, or cruise ship owners in this case, are required to not only warn customers of hidden dangers, but are also required to rectify the hidden danger. Also, business owners are required to warn customers of, or fix any danger that the owner knows to have caused injury in the past.
Slip and Fall Injuries Aboard Cruise Ships
It certainly is not hard to believe that water and other slippery substances can make their way onto the floors and decks of large cruise ships. They are floating in the middle of the ocean, after all. But there are plenty of situations where water spills or is dripped onto the floor or deck of a cruise ship, ultimately situations that are avoidable. For instance, casual cruise ship restaurants typically have areas where guests can refill their glasses with water, juice, or soda. Because of the high volume of use, spills commonly occur that create puddles and a slipping hazard. Many cruise ship companies keep their employees busy enough that some of these spills go unnoticed and cruise ship passengers are left to navigate around the mess and hope that they don’t slip and fall.
Another common area where accidents on cruise ships are common is the deck where the cruise ship’s pools are located. Many cruise ship customers will use the pools and walk around the deck of the ship while soaking wet and dripping large amounts of water onto the walkways. Many cruise ships have used material on the decks of the ships that provides a surface with much traction when dry, but tends to become slippery when wet. The act of a customer dripping water on a slippery surface creates a sometimes treacherous situation for customers. Although cruise ship companies do typically place signs that identify the slippery nature of the deck or take steps to mop up the puddles, they often do so after many guests have been exposed to the danger of a slippery floor.
Contact an Lawyer Immediately
Due to the changing conditions, routes, and crews of a cruise ship, it can sometimes be hard to complete a meaningful investigation. Because of this reality, it is imperative that, if you or a loved one was injured aboard a cruise ship, you contact an experienced Orlando personal injury lawyer at the Pendas Law Firm as soon as possible. Contact us online for a confidential consultation on your case.
