Common cruise ship injuries
- Slip and fall accidents
- Food poisoning
- Inadequate security
- Injuries from onboard activities and experiences
- Injuries from onboard fires
- Injuries from improper maintenance
- Assaults of all kinds
What to do if you're injured on a cruise
Get help from ship personnel immediately, then document everything: photographs of the scene and your injuries, the names and contact info of any witnesses, your own written recollection while it's fresh, and notes on your symptoms. File a written incident report with the ship and keep a copy. If you see the onboard physician, keep copies of every medical record.
Cruise tickets contain forum-selection and notice provisions that can dramatically shorten the time you have to file. Don't assume a normal Florida statute of limitations applies — it usually doesn't.
Cruise ship sexual assaults
Cruise ship sexual assaults are far more common than the industry would like the public to believe. They create a uniquely difficult situation — the victim is at sea or in a foreign port with the perpetrator, with no local law enforcement and no easy way to leave. Cruise lines often try to settle these matters quietly to avoid public attention.
Under maritime law, the offender isn't always the only liable party. Cruise lines can also be liable when there's a recognizable pattern of similar complaints they failed to act on. If you've been assaulted aboard a cruise ship, document everything you safely can, report the incident in writing, and contact a maritime attorney as soon as possible.
Talk to a maritime trial attorney today
Cruise injury cases live or die on early evidence collection and on hitting the contractual deadlines. Call 305-677-2228 to speak with a maritime lawyer about your case.