Cruise Ship Accidents

The Datny Law Firm in Boca Raton and Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer David B. Datny help victims of cruise ship accidents throughout the State of Florida including in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, which has become one of the main launching points for cruise ships. In fact, several of the largest cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Royal Caribbean International, have offices in Florida. While cruise ships are typically associated with luxury and fun, unfortunately they are far from risk free.

When you’ve been injured in a cruise ship accident or have lost a loved one, a Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer can be your best resource. Personal Injury Attorney David B. Datny has the knowledge and experience to fight effectively for the rights of cruise ship injury victims. The Datny Law Firm is committed to ensuring that people who have been injured through someone else’s negligence receive the compensation they deserve. Call us any time at 561-221-7474 for a free evaluation of your case.

Cruise Ship Accidents and Injuries
The most obvious type of cruise ship injury, and the one that probably comes immediately to mind for most people, is a boating accident. With the increasing popularity of cruise ships, the number of serious boating accidents in the cruise ship industry has rapidly increased. In the 30-year period between 1979 and 2009, 40 cruise ship vessels sank. In the subsequent three years, 15 cruise ships sank. Of course, not every cruise ship accident involves a boat sinking. There are other types of operator negligence that lead to cruise ship accidents and injuries including when they run aground or collide with other vessels.

There are many other types of shipboard activities that lead to passenger injury. Cruise ship passengers spend a significant amount of time aboard the ship and engage in activities that lead to injury in many of the same ways they do on land including:

• Slipping and falling on liquid substances
• Tripping and falling on debris or other transitory conditions
• Elevator accidents
• Escalator accidents
• Faulty equipment in a stateroom
• Pool accidents
• Negligent service (e.g., careless waiter spilling hot liquid)
• Foreign objects in food or beverages
• Food poisoning

Additionally, each year several cruise ship passengers and crew members are injured or killed when they fall overboard or fall from a balcony on the ship, which raise issues of negligent construction, inspection, maintenance, control and repair of the ship. If you or a family member were injured on a cruise ship in any of the above accidents, or otherwise, let The Datny Law Firm and Boca Raton Cruise Ship Accident Attorney David B. Datny help you.

Contractual Complications in Cruise Ship Injury Cases
Because cruise ships travel through a variety of jurisdictions and may be headquartered in a different location than the ship sails from, it may not be immediately clear where the appropriate venue for a personal injury or wrongful death suit against a cruise ship company should be filed.

Unlike automobile accidents, when it comes to cruise ship accidents, jurisdiction is typically controlled by the contract a cruise ship passenger signs when booking passage on the ship. The terms of the cruise ship contract often designate a specific state in which suit must be filed, which jurisdiction’s substantive law will apply, and even create additional procedural requirements for injured parties who plan to file suit that may be different from state law (e.g., statute of limitation, pre-suit notice requirements, mandatory arbitration). Unfortunately, however, most cruise ship passengers aren’t aware of these provisions or don’t fully understand how they affect claims against the company until it is too late.

These contractual issues will impact how quickly you must act after a cruise ship injury and the jurisdiction in which you need an attorney. In other words, time is of the essence after your cruise ship accident. That is why it is in your best interest to immediately consult with a local Cruise Ship Accident Attorney, like David B. Datny, familiar with cruise ship claims as quickly as possible. Another reason it is in your best interest to get The Datny Law Firm involved sooner rather than later is because once the ship leaves port, it may become impossible to preserve critical evidence of the cruise line’s fault or your injuries. The sooner you seek help from a Cruise Ship Accident Attorney, the more likely we will be able to preserve the evidence necessary to establish your case.

Relentless Representation for Cruise Ship Accident Victims
Successfully representing a boating accident victim, especially one who is injured on a boat as large and complex as a cruise ship, requires significant knowledge, time investment, and access to resources such as expert witnesses. The cruise ship lines and their insurance companies have limitless resources at their disposal as well as adjusters and defense lawyers dedicated to minimizing your claim. Let Boca Raton Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer David B. Datny and The Datny Law Firm fight for you and your family after your cruise ship accident. We can provide you with information and guidance that you need to make a good decision about your next steps after sustaining an onboard injury. For a free consultation, call us any time at 561-221-7474 or click to chat in the bottom right-hand corner of this page.