How to File a Lawsuit if You Were a Victims of the Carnival Cruise Belize Tour Van Crash
Cruises often involve tours and outings off the ship, often called cruise excursions. On these trips, the cruise company might still be in charge of ensuring passengers travel safely through their tour and return to the ship without issues, or they might contract with a local tour company to take care of the passengers’ safety and enjoyment.
A recent crash on November 27th, 2019 involving a cruise tour van in Belize shows how sometimes these cruise excursions can become dangerous or even deadly. If you were one of the victims injured in this crash, or if you are a family member of one of the victims who was killed, call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today. Our attorneys for victims of the Carnival Cruise tour van crash in Belize may be able to take your case and help you and your family get compensation for the injuries you suffered and the medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering related to the injuries. For a free legal consultation on your case, call our law offices today at (866) 386-1762.
Proving Fault in the Carnival Vista Van Tour Accident in Belize
The tour van was carrying passengers from Carnival Cruises’ Carnival Vista ship between Belize City and Belmopan on a sightseeing tour when the crash happened. The exact details of how this crash occurred are not known to us, but our lawyers have handled injury cases involving cruise ships and cruise ship excursions and tours before, and we may be able to shed some light on how the cruise company and touring companies might be responsible for the injuries in a crash like this.
Typically, ship passengers put their safety and care in the hands of the cruise line and its staff and crew. When you board a ship, it becomes the ship operator’s responsibility to ensure your safe passage and to make sure that the conditions on the ship are safe. Some of the duties the cruise line will owe you are the duties to make sure the physical conditions on the ship are safe, to avoid leaving slipping and tripping hazards on deck, to ensure security aboard the vessel, to make sure food and water are safe to consume, and to prevent certain disasters and accidents through reasonable efforts.
On a cruise excursion like a van tour or bus tour, the duties are similar. If the cruise company hires the van and the touring company, their staff or the tour company employees are required to take reasonable steps to ensure passenger safety on the excursion. For passengers in a vehicle such as a tour plane, tour helicopter, small boat, or even a van or bus, the duty to operate the vehicle safely and take reasonable steps to keep the passengers safe is a must.
If this accident was caused by negligence on the part of the driver, the victims might be entitled to sue the driver and their employer – potentially holding Carnival Cruise ultimately responsible for the damages they may have suffered. Proving fault will typically come down to the specifics of how the crash occurred. If the driver was driving in an unreasonable way, the cruise company could be responsible for the crash, especially if the driver was violating local traffic laws or reasonable safe-driving standards. These parties could also be responsible if the driver was intoxicated, distracted, or improperly screened for driving ability before being hired.
Damages for Injuries and Death in a Tour Van Accident from the Carnival Cruise in Belize
Reports in the news have stated that 5 passengers of the Carnival Vista were injured in the crash and that 2 more died from their injuries. This tragedy can gravely affect the lives of the surviving victims and the families of all 7 victims. The road to recovery for the injured victims may involve expensive medical care and other damages, and the harm to the families of the deceased victims could be immense. Typically, after injuries from a van crash in a foreign country, cruise passengers and their families may face a range of damages they can typically claim financial compensation for.
The first damages the victims and their families might face are expenses for medical bills. The cost of getting emergency medical treatment in a foreign country like Belize might actually be cheaper than in the United States, but the quality of care is not guaranteed. If you need additional treatment when you get home or if you suffer medical negligence, you could face increased costs for medical care. If your injuries are extensive, the care costs could be very high.
Second, victims of a serious van accident might be unable to return to work. Their injuries could keep them from income that they and their family need. Especially if the victim is deceased or suffered permanent injuries, these damages could involve future damages as well.
Victims of injuries also face pain and other effects on their lives. Damages for the physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress of an injury can be claimed, as can damages for the impediments and lack of enjoyment the injury brings to your life and activities you used to enjoy.
Talk to a lawyer about claiming these damages in a lawsuit against any at-fault parties, potentially including Carnival Cruises. The families of a deceased victim in a cruise excursion accident might also be entitled to additional damages for the cost of funeral and burial expenses and other damages they face from their loss, such as lost companionship and lost counsel from a spouse, parent, or child.
Call Our Cruise Ship Excursion Injury and Death Attorneys for a Free Legal Consultation
If you or your family member was one of the passengers injured in the van accident in Belize during a Carnival Cruises tour, call our attorneys today. The cruise ship injury and cruise tour injury lawyers at Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. have decades of experience handling cruise ship injury cases. Although the accident took place in Belize, because the cruise left from Galveston, Texas, it might be governed by U.S. maritime law, and our lawyers might be able to file your case against Carnival Cruises and its subsidiaries in the U.S. Call our lawyers today to discuss your case and to learn more about seeking justice and financial compensation for this terrible tragedy. Call us today at (866) 386-1762 to set up your free legal consultation.
