Who Investigates Deaths on Cruise Ships?
Cruise ship deaths are devastating, turning a vacation into a nightmare. When these tragic events happen, investigating them is crucial so that survivors can hold liable parties accountable.
If an American passenger disappears or dies under suspicious circumstances, cruise ships must inform the FBI, which will then investigate the matter further. Cruise ships should conduct their own investigations into passenger deaths, though they might be skewed as cruise ships could be liable for incidents. Because of this, survivors can rely on our lawyers to launch an investigation into a cruise ship wrongful death. Right away, we can obtain surveillance footage from the ship possibly showing the incident, identify and interview eyewitnesses, and review the victim’s medical records and cause of death. The sooner we begin these inquiries, the better, as delaying investigations could result in insufficient evidence for survivors to prove the cruise ship’s liability.
For a free and confidential case analysis from our cruise ship accident and injury lawyers, call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. at (305) 204-5369.
Who Investigates Cruise Ship Deaths?
Investigating cruise ship deaths or disappearances is crucial, as these investigations might reveal that the cruise ship was negligent, making it liable for survivors’ damages.
According to the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA), the ship must report the disappearance to the FBI if a passenger disappears from a cruise ship after falling overboard. Cruise ships must also do this for suspicious deaths, as the FBI may have to investigate these situations as potential crimes.
For these and other deaths, like fatal accidents due to negligence, the cruise ship may investigate the matter for its records. When cruise ships do this, they might act with their best interests in mind and might fail to preserve important evidence that could indicate liability.
Because of this, it is important to enlist our cruise ship injury lawyers right after a fatal accident. Our attorneys can launch an investigation immediately, identifying witnesses and obtaining relevant surveillance footage. Again, relying on the cruise ship company to investigate the matter is unwise, as its negligence may have led to the victim’s death, giving it reason to destroy or manipulate evidence. If a fatal accident occurs while a ship is docked at a port, witnesses or the victim’s survivors can call local authorities for help documenting the incident. This can lead to police reports that our lawyers can help survivors obtain in the following weeks.
How to Investigate Cruise Ship Deaths
At the beginning of our investigation, we will obtain evidence from the cruise ship, such as security camera footage and reports from onboard medical staff. Furthermore, if the cruise ship investigated the incident, we will obtain reports from that investigation and interview eyewitnesses. The sooner we begin this process, the better, as this may enable us to preserve evidence at risk of being destroyed or lost.
Get Evidence from the Cruise Ship
Per the CVSSA, cruise ships must maintain comprehensive surveillance systems to deter criminal, reckless, or dangerous activity. Depending on where the accident happened, the cruise ship might have footage of the victim falling overboard or otherwise sustaining fatal injuries. We can quickly subpoena this footage so the cruise ship does not delete it.
In addition to security camera footage, our cruise ship accident and injury lawyers will obtain any reports related to the accident and records from onboard medical staff. Cruises must maintain medical facilities, and victims might go there before succumbing to fatal injuries for treatment. We can get these records to review the victim’s cause of death, according to cruise ship medical staff. It is important to note that, though they are medical professionals, these individuals work for the cruise ship company and might be biased. Because of this, survivors might have to get the victim’s cause of death confirmed upon returning home to bring claims against a negligent cruise ship.
We can collect and review all materials from the cruise ship’s investigation, including any incident reports, and compare them to our assessments of what happened based on the available evidence.
Interview Witnesses
While investigating the victim’s death, our attorneys can locate eyewitnesses and schedule interviews. Doing this as soon as possible is important, as victims could forget crucial details as time passes.
We can also identify experts who may be useful to survivors’ wrongful death claims, such as those familiar with maritime safety requirements, like the CVSSA, which also requires cruise ships to maintain 42-inch guardrails on all decks and passenger-access areas to prevent falls overboard. Our attorneys can investigate whether or not a cruise ship had the appropriate fall protection security measures in place when a victim fell overboard and sustained fatal injuries.
Act Quickly
Victims’ survivors should not delay investigations into their deaths, as doing so could cause issues with future claims. Because these incidents happen at sea, survivors are already somewhat at a deficit since the accident location is relatively isolated. The sooner you initiate an investigation into your loved one’s wrongful death at sea, the more likely our lawyers will be able to preserve vital evidence. While the statute of limitations for maritime wrongful death claims is typically three years, cruise ships might shorten that filing deadline to one year by including caveats in passenger tickets. Our attorneys can quickly review the victim’s ticket to determine the appropriate timeline for your case. In addition to shortening the time survivors might have to sue, cruise ships might also choose specific jurisdictions for wrongful death claims, which would also be mentioned in the passenger contract.
By ironing out these details early on in your case, our attorneys can make sure you file on time so that you do not lose your opportunity to hold a cruise ship company liable for your loved one’s wrongful death.
Call Our Cruise Ship Accident Lawyers for Help Today
Get a free case review from our cruise ship accident and injury lawyers by calling Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. at (305) 204-5369.
