Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Residents of Florida often enjoy great benefits by going on cruises, since the port of Miami is so close by. In addition, many visitors come to Miami and surrounding areas on their cruise ships. Cruises can be a great way to meet others, explore the world, and learn new things.
While Florida may be a popular destination for cruises, however, cruise ships themselves are not without their problems. Each year, thousands of people are injured and some are even killed on cruise ships and while embarking or disembarking from ships. If you have suffered an injury on board a cruise ship or while on a cruise, you can always contact Flaxman Law Group for a free case review.
What Sorts of Injuries Happen on Cruises?
Most travelers enjoy their cruises with no injury. However, injuries are more common than you may think. There many injuries and incidents possible on cruise liners, including:
- Going overboard and drowning
- Becoming the victim of assault, sexual assault, or theft
- Slip and fall injuries on board
- Trip and fall injuries while embarking or disembarking the ship
- Food poisoning
- Head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and fractures caused by rough seas or poor operation of the cruise ship
Why Seeking Justice Can be a Challenge
If you have been injured on board a cruise ship, seeking compensation and justice can be complicated. In many cases, cruise ship companies are large and powerful corporations and take steps to protect themselves against liability. In addition, determining the jurisdiction of a cruise ship injury can sometimes be difficult. Injuries may occur out on international waters, in Miami, or when the ship is docked.
Another problem with cruise ship injuries is that people who are injured are often on board. With no way to contact an attorney and nowhere else to turn, injured passengers may rely on crews to help them. Cruise ship staff on the other hand, maybe interested in reducing liability for the company. They may push the passenger to minimize their injuries or even to sign a release form absolving the cruise ship company of any responsibility.
What Should You Do if You are Injured?
If you have been injured on board, contact a personal injury attorney immediately. Report the injury and accident to cruise ship staff at once and take photos of your injuries and the area where the injury took place. Get the contact information of anyone who witnessed your fall or injury.
A personal injury attorney can take the information you gather and can investigate what caused your injuries. If your accident and injury was caused by poor maintenance of the cruise ship, by reckless staff, or by other instances of negligence you may have a legal claim.
If you would like to speak with a personal injury attorney about what you can do to seek compensation, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free, no obligation case review. Flaxman Law Group is located in Southern Florida and our legal team has more than 60 years of combined experience helping travelers and residents who have been injured.