First things first, seek immediate medical care. Most cruise ships have an onboard medical center available for passengers and crew 24 hours a day. They are equipped with doctors and nurses and a variety of diagnostic medical devices like X-rays, TPA and blood and urine laboratories.
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Provide the medical staff with accurate, honest, and clear medical history. The notes they take become part of your medical-legal record and will be used in your case. We have found that some of the questions asked and notes taken by some ship’s doctors are purposely designed to be used in litigation-rather than for a medical diagnosis.
Once and if your medical condition is appropriately stabilized-try to return to the scene of your accident. Most commonly we investigate slip and fall cases that occur near swimming pools, spas, and on staircases. Try take photographs and video of where you fell then immediately upload the video to a cloud based storage facility such as iCloud or YouTube and mark the video private. You want to do this incase you lose or damage your phone. The photographs you take will become valuable evidence in your case.
If you can, without harassing fellow passengers, get names and addresses of witnesses to your fall and the conditions that caused you to get injured. Cruise lines know the names, phone numbers and addresses of everyone on the ship and will not hesitate to call upon them to assist in the defense of your claim. If you have a witness, ask them for their contact information.
If your case involves a slip, trip, or fall – stop wearing the shoes, (usually flip flops) that you had on at the time of the fall. Simply put them in a ziplock bag and do not dispose of them. Your shoes will become valuable evidence in your claim and cruise ship accident defense lawyers routinely request that our clients produce the shoes they were wearing at the time of the fall for examination. If the shoes have excessive wear and tear – it can be argued that they were in part the reason for your fall.
Take pictures of any bruising, cuts, lacerations. Document everything in a journal or dictate into your phone the name and title of any crew members you speak with. Cruise lines begin defending your potential case the minute they become aware of your fall and injury. It is very common for a member of the ship’s security crew to ask you to return to the scene and recreate how you fell – while they take photographs, measurements and make detailed notes. They often will ask you to sign a “Passenger Injury Statement Form.” If you decide to do this be completely honest, accurate and detailed in the description of what and why it happened. Do not make up facts or provide incorrect information as these seemingly innocent forms will be used against you when you make your claim. Ask for a copy of anything you sign.
Carnival, for example, routinely will monitor the social media accounts of claimants. Anything you post after and even before your incident is fair game and discoverable in your lawsuit.
Our maritime personal injury lawyers are here to help you get the full value of the compensation you are entitled to. Call us today for your free initial evaluation: 1-866-597-4529 or email us at: newcase@www.aronfeld.com
Aronfeld Trial Lawyers has successfully represented passengers from around the world who have been injured on a cruise ship for over twenty years. As of today, every client we have represented has received compensation for their cruise ship injury.
Our maritime accident and injury law firm in Miami is dedicated to holding cruise lines accountable for injuries sustained by passengers. If you or anyone you know has been hurt on a cruise, it is very important to consult with an experienced cruise ship accident attorney quickly. Most cruise lines require that claims be submitted in writing within 180 days of the incident and that suits be filed in the Federal Court in Miami, no matter where in the world the accident may have occurred, and regardless of where the claimant is from.
Cruise lines are responsible for the injuries that passengers sustain on and off the ship. Florida law is clear that cruise lines have a non-delegable responsibility to make sure that passengers are safe when being transported between the ship and shore.
If you have been injured on a cruise ship, tender or in port, it is important that you seek immediate medical care and report the incident. Cruise lines often defend cases based upon a “lack of reported incident.” Also, immediately consult with an experienced passenger injury lawyer who is admitted to practice in Federal Court.
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Call 866-597-4529Send us a messageOften, yes. Under maritime law, cruise lines owe passengers reasonable care. If the cruise line knew or should have known about the danger that led to an accident on board and failed to fix it or warn you, it may be responsible for your injuries.
Get medical care in the ship’s medical center, report what happened to the crew and ask for a copy of the incident report, photograph the area and your injuries, and get the names of witnesses. Keep your ticket, receipts and medical records.
Most cruise ticket contracts require written notice within about six months and a lawsuit within one year of the injury. Some deadlines are even shorter, so contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
Most major cruise lines require passenger lawsuits to be filed in the court named in the ticket contract, often federal court in Miami. Aronfeld Trial Lawyers is based in Miami and represents passengers from across the country.
Nothing up front. Aronfeld Trial Lawyers works on a contingency fee: No Recovery. No Fee. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
Often, yes. Under maritime law, cruise lines owe passengers reasonable care. If the cruise line knew or should have known about the danger that led to a cruise ship injury and failed to fix it or warn you, it may be responsible for your injuries.
Get medical care in the ship’s medical center, report what happened to the crew and ask for a copy of the incident report, photograph the area and your injuries, and get the names of witnesses. Keep your ticket, receipts and medical records.
Tell us what happened. The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you — no attorney’s fees and no costs.
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