Are Cruise Ships Safe?
If you plan on taking a cruise, it’s important for you to learn about some of the top things that can make cruise ships unsafe for passengers.
While going on a cruise is often an enjoyable experience, there are some safety concerns that passengers should be aware of. For example, traveling at sea presents the risk of falls into the water, which could result in passengers drowning. Crew members might act negligently or maliciously, causing injury to passengers. Cruise ship companies might fail to ensure the safety of passengers, leading to a wide array of accidents and injuries. Suppose your safety was endangered and you were injured on a cruise ship. In that case, you can increase your chances of recovering compensation by reporting your injuries and seeking immediate care from medical professionals.
To get a free review of your case, call the cruise ship injury lawyers at Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind, P.A. today at (305) 204-5369.
What Can Make Cruise Ships Unsafe?
When traveling on a cruise ship, passengers should always consider their safety. Being at sea presents the possibility of falling overboard, especially if there is a lack of safety precautions. Docking abroad can make it more challenging for passengers to report incidents to the police. Furthermore, negligence on behalf of crew members or cruise ship companies might seriously injure passengers.
Traveling at Sea
While cruise ships are often fun vessels to vacation on, they present risks because they travel at sea. Being at sea somewhat isolates passengers from others, making it difficult to contact law enforcement or document incidents that might happen. Being at sea also introduces the possibility of passengers falling overboard, which is one of the top causes of cruise ship deaths and missing persons cases. Passengers that fall overboard might experience serious injuries, such as anoxic brain injuries.
Docking Abroad
Being docked in foreign countries, while exciting, might present certain difficulties. If an accident happens on board, and you report it to local law enforcement, it might be challenging to access your incident report in the future. Seeking medical attention in a foreign country after an accident on a cruise ship, though often important for passengers, might also be hard.
Negligent Crew Members
Unfortunately, some incidents on cruise ships are caused by negligent or malicious crew members. Assaults on board might occur, including sexual assaults, causing injury and emotional distress to victims. According to data compiled under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act, there were 30 sexual assaults on cruise ships between October and December of 2022 alone. Negligent crew members might overserve alcohol to passengers, leading to falls overboard, other injuries, or dangerous altercations.
Negligent Cruise Ship Companies
Cruise ship companies are tasked with ensuring the safety and well-being of their passengers. When these companies act negligently, especially in their hiring practices, passengers might be in danger. The risk of danger increases when cruise ship companies fail to ensure that guardrails and other safety precautions are effective. A lack of security on a cruise ship might lead to assaults, non-passengers coming aboard, or other incidents. There are many other ways that cruise ship companies might act negligently, causing harm to passengers. Cruise ships typically do not have law enforcement on board, making it difficult for passengers to report incidents or seek help after an accident that results in injury.
What if Your Safety is Endangered on a Cruise Ship?
If your safety has been endangered and you have been injured or otherwise harmed on a cruise ship, you should do several important things. These include reporting your incident and seeking immediate medical attention. After you take those steps, you may be able to seek compensation via a lawsuit against a negligent cruise ship company.
Report Safety Hazards
One of many safety hazards might have caused your injury on a cruise ship. Obstructions might lead to slip and falls, and improper guardrails might lead to passengers falling overboard. It is important to immediately report these safety hazards and the injuries you sustained to the cruise ship company. Many cruise ships will have a procedure for incident reporting, which victims can follow. Tell local law enforcement if you are docked in a foreign port at the time of your incident. Our maritime injury lawyers can contact foreign law enforcement agencies in the future to obtain a copy of your report. Reporting safety hazards and alerting the cruise ship company to your injuries is crucial so that you have documentation of your initial damages.
Get Medical Care
When your safety is compromised due to negligence on a cruise ship, it is paramount that you seek medical attention right away. Cruise ships typically have medical staff on board. While these individuals may be medical professionals tasked with providing you with the proper care, they are also employed by the cruise ship company. Because of this, injured passengers should seek additional medical care as soon as possible, preferably in the next foreign country they dock in. While this might be challenging for some passengers, it is important, as waiting to go to the hospital until you return home might jeopardize your future case for compensation.
Pursue Compensation
If the cruise ship you traveled on did not uphold its duty of care to you, and the company’s negligence caused your injuries, you can likely pursue a compensation claim. The process of suing a cruise ship company can be challenging, especially because many cruise ships include caveats to suing on passenger tickets. This might mean that the time you have to file a lawsuit will be shorter than you initially anticipated. By properly reporting your accident and getting your injuries assessed by medical professionals, you may have a greater chance of recovery.
Call Us About a Cruise Ship Accident Today
Reach out to our cruise ship accident lawyers by calling Rivkind, P.A. at (305) 204-5369 for a free evaluation of your case.
