Many people save up to go on their dream vacations on a luxury cruise ship. Cruise ships seem paradisiacal, full of adventure and beautiful people. The last thing they’re probably thinking about is requiring the services of a Miami cruise ship injury lawyer.
Fortunately, incidents of injury and death of cruise ship passengers are relatively rare. Cruise lines that sail in US waters undergo regular inspections from the Coast Guard and Centers for Disease Control and Protection for safety and sanitation, respectively. One report states that about 17.7 people per year sustain injuries due to operational mishaps, which are mostly from small fires and other technical glitches.
However, when you sustain an injury on board a cruise ship, it ruins the rest of your vacation and you may not receive proper medical attention. Cruise lines are often ill-equipped to help injured cruise ship passengers. Additionally, if the incident happens in a foreign country, your situation is even more complicated.
You will need Miami cruise ship injury lawyers to handle your personal injury case. Call Diamond & Diamond Lawyers in Miami at 1-800-567-HURT as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation and get some peace of mind.
Contact Diamond & Diamond Lawyers
Miami Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers
Miami cruise ship injury lawyers are adept at dealing with legal loopholes that many cruise lines rely on to avoid liability for injuries or deaths of cruise ship passengers. Some of the legal hurdles you may face in getting compensation include:
- Non-disclosure policies on the identities of missing, injured, or dead passengers
- Jurisdictional disputes for events that occur in international waters
- Ticket contracts that severely limit the options of injured parties when making a personal injury claim
Diamond & Diamond Miami cruise ship accident lawyers have a deep understanding of maritime law that a layperson would find hopelessly confusing. They know how to overcome any obstacles that may be thrown your way and they’ll ensure a just and fair recovery for your losses.
Why You Need a Cruise Ship Injury Attorney
Cruise ship passengers heady from the excitement of getting onboard a fancy ship might not be aware that their tickets are actually contracts. You probably signed these legally binding ticket contracts without reading the fine print, which includes provisions that can significantly affect your rights if you and fellow cruise ship injury victims want to file a claim.
One of these provisions is that an injured party must file a claim against the cruise line within one year (or another stipulated period) of the incident. Another provision usually stipulates where a claim must be filed.
For example, Royal Caribbean stipulates that personal injury claims must be filed in Florida, even if you live in New York. If you miss the deadline or file a claim in a jurisdiction other than that stipulated in the ticket contract, you might be barred from ever making a claim.
Diamond & Diamond Miami is in a peculiar position to be of massive help with cruise ship injury cases because Florida has some of the busiest ports for cruise ships in the world. Port Miami, alone, typically handles more than 1,000 ships and boards 5 million passengers a year. Therefore, many cruise lines stipulate that cruise ship injury lawsuits must be filed in Miami.
While we have vast experience dealing with all kinds of personal injury cases, including car accidents, cruise ship injuries are much more complex. Because maritime law varies according to jurisdiction, our specialists with maritime law experience have to handle each case carefully. Find out how we can help. Get a free case evaluation today!
While general maritime law typically applies to cruise ship injury cases, special circumstances apply just to events that occur on cruise ships. Contact the experienced personal injury attorneys from Diamond and Diamond.
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Examples of Cruise Ship Injuries
Though injuries from preventable accidents and intentional acts have plagued cruise lines for years, they are not widely known. Most people only hear about well-publicized cases, but even a good cruise line may hide many from the public. Here are some examples of cruise ship injuries.
The Costa Concordia capsized in 2012 off the coast of Italy. It crashed into a large rock, jeopardizing the lives of 4,200 passengers and crew on board. Indeed, 64 people sustained injuries and 32 died. The accident was due to the poor judgment of Francesco Schettino, who was the ship’s captain. The captain abandoned the ship and its passengers to their fate. However, Schettino later received a 16-year prison sentence in 2015.
In 2013, the Carnival Triumph sat dead in the water in the Gulf of Mexico when a fire broke out in the engine room. Investigations concluded that it was because of the negligence of the crew. With little food and a backed-up sewage system, the incident stranded 3,500 people on board, who suffered for five days under horrific conditions before they could finally disembark in Mobile, Alabama. Carnival declined to provide their passengers with proper compensation.
In 2010, there was an outbreak of the Norovirus, which causes gastrointestinal distress, on board the Celebrity Mercury, affecting more than 400 of the 2,600 cruise ship passengers. The incident indicated that the cruise ship had been negligent in maintaining proper sanitation and health standards.
Slips and falls are common hazards in cruise ships as well. One example is a woman on a Celebrity Cruise Lines vessel who tripped on a ramp and sustained injuries. Another is a passenger on a Northern Spirit cruise ship who fell overboard and drowned because the crew continued to serve him alcohol even though he was visibly intoxicated.
Pro Tip
The most important thing to do when you meet an accident during your cruise ship vacation is to get medical attention immediately. Then contact a cruise ship injury lawyer to discuss your accident and injuries. You may be entitled to financial compensation if your injuries were the result of negligence.
Why Choose Our Cruise Ship Injury Attorneys?
Diamond Law Miami specializes in advocating for victims of a bad cruise ship experience, which was caused by negligence, to ensure that they receive the compensation they deserve. Among the cases we handle include the following:
- Car accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Dog bites
- Brain injuries
- Birth injuries
- Medical Malpractice
- Long Term Disability
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Work-related injuries
Most of these injuries can also happen in cruise ship injury cases. That makes us the best personal injury lawyers in Miami whom you can call when you find yourself in dire straits because of the negligence of others.
National Personal Injury Law Firm
Our expertise in handling complex and typical personal injury lawsuits transcends borders. Diamond & Diamond is a national personal injury firm with over 20 offices across North America, including Diamond Law Miami. Our lawyers are ready and willing to visit you at home or in the hospital while you recover from your cruise ship accident. We endeavor to always be available to our clients, which is why we provide our personal cell phone numbers.
Millions in Settlements
Perhaps the most important reason to call Diamond Law Miami is that we have an excellent record in handling cases. We have thousands of clients and have succeeded in settling claims to the tune of millions. The best thing for you as a client is that we work on contingency, which means you will only pay us when we succeed in recovering money for you.
Our Legal Team is Qualified to Take on the Major Cruise Lines
Taking on major cruise lines is what we do best. Diamond Law Miami lawyers regularly handle cases against big corporations and large insurance companies. Because major cruise lines often choose the jurisdiction for cruise ship injury lawsuits, which is generally Florida, Diamond Law Miami has the home advantage. We take on the following major cruise lines without batting an eyelid:
- Azamara Cruise Lines
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Celebrity Cruises
- Costa Cruises
- Crystal Cruises
- Cunard Line
- Disney Cruise Line
- Holland America Line
- Mediterranean Shipping Cruises USA
- Norwegian Cruise Line
- Oceania Cruises
- Princess Cruises
- Radisson Seven Seas Cruises
- Ritz Carlton Yacht Collection
- Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
- Seabourn Cruise Line
- Silversea Cruises
- Island Queen Cruises
- Pullmantur Cruises
- P&O Cruises
- Virgin Voyages
- Windstar Cruises
Contact Diamond Law Miami Today!
Cruise ship accidents are rare, but they happen. When you sustain injuries because of the negligence of the cruise line or crew, you have a right to receive fair compensation for your losses.
Remember that cruise lines tend to limit cruise ship liabilities, so they will do everything to discourage you from filing a lawsuit. Additionally, your ticket contract might give you very little time to file complex cruise ship injury claims, so call Diamond Law Miami cruise ship accident lawyers now before it is too late!
It’s easy. Simply call 1-800-567-HURT or fill in our contact form to schedule a free evaluation of your case. You can be sure that we will take care of you, even though the cruise line didn’t.