Cruise Ship Negligence and Shore Excursion Accidents
When you see television commercials for cruise lines, you would think that vacationing on board a big ship is nothing but merriment and safe sanctuary away from worldly worries. But that’s not entirely accurate.
The truth is that people suffer from a range of accidents and suffer a variety injuries every year including slips and falls, falling overboard, food poisoning, and accidents at shore while docked at a port-of-call.
Recent incidents in the news include a passenger who was hospitalized after staying in a stateroom infested with bed bugs, 6 victims injured when two Carnival Cruise Ships collided in Cozumel, Mexico, and 2 Carnival Cruise passengers who were killed in a van crash while ashore in Belize. Passengers have been assaulted by other passengers and crew members, and some have been incorrectly diagnosed and treated by ship’s medical personnel.
Parasailing, for example, is a very popular recreational activity around the world, and Florida Statute 327.375 deals with commercial parasailing, requires liability insurance, and forbids operating under certain weather conditions. When a traveler is not within the borders of the United States they are not necessarily protected by the same state and federal laws we are familiar with, but that doesn’t mean a victim of negligence cannot recover damages. If you’re on a cruise and engage in some parasailing while off the ship at the beach in a foreign country, the Florida Statute does not cover the operator. If you are injured due to negligence, finding who is at fault is not always clear.
Pursuing justice and reasonable compensation for injuries and other damages while on a cruise is a very specialized area of law, and victims should seek out attorneys who have experience dealing with these cases. The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus has been helping victims of cruise ship accidents since 1992. Our proximity to three of the world’s busiest ports, Miami, Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, and the Port of Palm Beach has us uniquely positioned to meet with passenger-victims and quickly assess the situation and recommend the best course of action.
You may reach us 7-days-a-week at (954) 356-0006.
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