Summer vacations are a time to relax and unwind, especially if you are taking a cruise. Unfortunately, an unexpected injury can bring your vacation to a grinding halt. If you are injured while vacationing during a cruise, you may have the right to legal compensation for your injuries.
You Must Prove Negligence
The only way a cruise ship can be responsible for your injuries is if they were negligent in a way that caused them. This means that they acted without care regarding the safety of the passengers on the boat. An accident doesn't always mean the cruise ship acted without care though, because negligence is only possible if the staff had an opportunity to prevent the injury from happening and decided not to.
Common Cruise Ship Injuries
The following are a few common reasons why you may be injured due to cruise ship negligence.
- A fall while using a staircase
- A slip and fall while on the ship's deck
- A trip over a threshold
Staircase Falls
A fall while using a staircase can happen for a variety of reasons. The handrail may be missing or poorly designed, the height of the steps could be different or varied, or there was water on the stairs. Do not make the mistake of assuming your fall was an accident attributed to yourself, because it may be due to a factor you do not realize at first. An investigation will need to take place to determine the cause of the injury.
Ship Deck Slip And Falls
While there is potential for water to be on the ship's deck, it does not always take the blame away from a cruise ship if a slip and fall occurs. The cruise line must use a surface for the deck that does not become unreasonably slippery when it is wet. The cruise line must also act promptly to clean up water when it is on the deck. Special care must be taken around naturally slippery areas, such as pools and hot tubs.
Threshold Trips
A cruise ship needs thresholds so that the ship's interior is watertight, so the fact that the threshold exists does not make the cruise line liable for a personal injury. Passengers must be warned of thresholds to ensure someone does not accidentally trip over them. This can be done by coloring the top of the threshold a bright color or placing signs around thresholds.
If you feel like the cruise ship was responsible for your injury in any of these situations, work with a personal injury lawyer to get the compensation you deserve. If you win your case, you will not have to pay for your medical bills related to the injury, and you will be compensated appropriately for your temporary or permanent disability.
Share