Can You File a Lawsuit Against Caribbean Cruises if You Were Injured on a Ship?
Royal Caribbean is one of the largest cruise lines in the world. Their ships carry millions of passengers on cruises across the globe each year. Unfortunately for a fraction of these passengers, their cruise might be fraught with illness, accidental injury, or intentional injury from assault or sexual assault.
If you or a loved one was injured as a passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise, contact Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind today. Our attorney for Royal Caribbean cruise accidents and injury lawsuits may be able to take your case and fight to get you the compensation you need for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Contact us today at (866) 386-1762 to set up a free legal consultation and learn more about your potential case.
Suing Cruise Lines for Injuries
If you were a passenger on a cruise ship, you understand how much of your safety and comfort is dependent on the cruise ship’s staff and crew. From clean bedding to a safe walk on deck, everything is controlled and operated by the cruise ship’s workers. These workers are often responsible for ensuring your safety aboard the ship, and any errors or mistakes could be their fault. If these mistakes lead to serious accidents or injuries, you may be able to take the cruise line to court to seek compensation.
Proving your injury case requires you to show four major elements in court. First, you must show that the cruise ship and its workers owed you a duty. These duties usually depend on the situation at hand but typically involve taking reasonable safety precautions to help guests. Second, you must prove that the cruise ship breached that duty. The breach can occur through actions that lacked the proper care or skill or from inaction. Third, you must prove that their breach of duty actually caused your injuries. If the injury would have occurred even with better care or skill, the cruise ship usually is not responsible. Lastly, you must prove the damages that you suffered.
In the abstract, this may be confusing, but the following examples of negligence on a cruise ship might help you see what the cruise workers should have done differently and how you are able to sue in your case:
- Kitchen workers are required to serve food that is safe to eat and free from food poisoning, such as norovirus.
- Bartenders and servers should not serve overly intoxicated guests and should speak up if they see someone trying to take advantage of a drunk passenger.
- Hospitality staff should check beds and bedding for bed bugs or else risk a serious outbreak on board.
- Staff and crew should make sure that wet decks are cleaned up or have proper warning signs to notify guests of slipping hazards.
- Onboard facilities should be safe from electrocution or fire hazards – and proper warning signs should be used.
- The cruise ship should have proper safety netting and railings installed to prevent passengers from falling overboard or falling to a lower deck.
- Staff and crew should cancel shore excursions or trips off the ship if inclement weather could be dangerous for boats, planes, or helicopters.
- Other instances of negligence can be handled on a case by case basis. In many cases, there is some level of fault from the ship’s crew or staff that makes them responsible for the injuries you faced aboard the cruise.
Compensation for Cruise Ship Injuries Involving Royal Caribbean Cruises
As mentioned, Royal Caribbean is one of the largest cruise companies in the world. As such, it would be bad for business if they had to pay out high damages or if the cases against them were heavily advertised in the news. Because of this, a cruise line’s legal team often works to shut down claims and payout low settlements to stop cases from costing too much or going to court and becoming public record. Your attorney can help you understand whether these settlement offers are reasonable or else fight your case in court to seek full compensation.
When you sue for injuries on a cruise ship, you are typically entitled to claim any damages resulting from the accident or injury. This commonly means getting medical bills paid for, covering lost wages you missed because of the injury, and covering pain and suffering damages. Medical bills could be quite expensive, especially if you needed medivac or emergency transportation to a hospital onshore. You may also need additional care back home, such as rehabilitation or physical therapy. Lost wages can be high, especially if you suffered a long-term or permanent injury that stops you from working at your former capacity. Pain and suffering damages can also be quite high in many cases.
Your attorney can help you calculate these damages and understand what your case should be worth. In many cases, large companies will offer settlements to end cases quickly, but these could be too low to cover your needs. Once you accept a settlement, you usually cannot go back to court for more damages. Our attorneys can help you understand whether the settlement is too low and what you should claim in court for damages.
Call Our Maritime and Cruise Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation
If you or a member of your family was injured on a Royal Caribbean cruise, call Rivkind Margulies & Rivkind today at (866) 386-1762. Our attorneys for Royal Caribbean cruise ship injuries and accidents represent victims of cruise ship injuries, and we fight to get them compensation for their claims. These kinds of cases typically must be filed under maritime law, and our experienced maritime injury lawyers have handled hundreds of cases and even testified before Congress on matters of maritime law. Let our experience work for you. Call us today to schedule a free legal consultation on your case.
