- Home
- About
- Practices
Cruise Ship AccidentsCLASS ACTION LAWSUITSMaritimePersonal Injury
- Results
- Blogs/News
- Free Consultation
- 866-597-4529
The Port of San Francisco is the homeport for Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Norwegian Cruises. It is located on Piers 27 and 35 on the northern waterfront of the Embarcadero. The Port of San Francisco terminals are easily accessible by foot or by vehicle and are approximately a 21-minute walk from the “Bart”, Embarcadero/Sansome stop. The port of San Francisco is considered to be one of the premier gateways for cruising throughout the world and hosts over 100 cruise ship calls and nearly half a million passengers every single year. Cruises from San Francisco typically travel up and down the California coast to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and around the world.
The closest hotels to the port of San Francisco are located in the nearby Fisherman’s Wharf area. Most passengers stay at the Wharf Hyatt hotel, which is located on the corner of Drumm and Market Street. We recommend that passengers stay as close to the port as possible, especially on embarkation day because traffic and other factors can delay getting to the ship on time.
Some of the must-see attractions near the port of San Francisco for cruise ship passengers are the Alcatraz prison, as well as the world’s tallest trees that are between 500 and 700 years old located at the Muir Woods National Monument. No visit to San Francisco would be complete without visiting the beautiful town of Sausalito and the extraordinary Napa Valley wine region.
At the James R. Hermann Cruise terminal which opened in 2014, passengers board the ships via an automated mobile gangway that levels depending on the height of the cruise ship. These gangways can be the scene of accidents because they are often steep and slippery.
Our premier cruise ship passenger injury law firm has investigated and represented multiple people who have been injured either boarding or disembarking cruise ships on gangways. Cruise Lines like Carnival, Celebrity, Princess, and Norwegian all have a very clear legal responsibility to make sure that their passengers can get on and off their ships in a reasonably safe manner.
Virtually all cruise ships have warning signs stating the decks are slippery when wet, but this does not mean that the cruise line is not responsible if somebody falls simply because they put out a warning sign. There are obligations under federal maritime law that cruise lines must maintain, inspect, and repair their gangways in a reasonably safe manner so that passengers can avoid being injured.
Some of the most common injuries we have seen from gangway accidents occur due to the wet and slippery, and steep nature of gangways. Our firm has represented passengers who have slipped and fallen on gangways as well as those who have been injured trying to get down gangways on wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Our office has investigated many claims where passengers have been injured on cruises that have left from San Francisco. Many are surprised to learn that even if their cruise left from California, if they want to make a claim against the cruise line for the cruise lines negligence, the claim has to be filed in Miami, Florida in the Southern District of Florida Courthouse.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and many other cruise lines consider Miami, Florida to be their homeport and corporate headquarters. Furthermore, very deep within the passenger ticket contract is language that requires any claim filed against a major cruise line to be filed in federal court in Miami within one year of the date of the incident.
The most common type of accidents that our firm sees on cruises coming out of San Francisco, are slips and falls on wet and slippery surfaces like pool decks and interior staircases. The combination of sea air and slippery surfaces that can arise from pool water, spilled drinks, or humidity often creates an unreasonably dangerous situation. It can lead to serious injuries such as broken bones, spinal injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.
If you are injured while onboard a cruise, in a terminal, port of call, or during a shore excursion that was purchased through the cruise line it’s important to consult as soon as possible with an experienced cruise injury law firm, since the major cruise lines all have a well-funded army of warriors ready to defend them against any potential claim.
Federal maritime law requires that the injured party prove that the cruise line had some form of advanced notice of the dangerous condition before the incident occurred. In other words, the cruise line has to know or should have known that the deck was wet and slippery before you fell. This is often a difficult and sometimes impossible legal hurdle to overcome.
One of the first things that our maritime law firm that sues Carnival and other major cruise lines does when we investigate a potential slip and fall on a cruise ship is we obtain and preserve the CCTV footage of the incident. Most of these major cruise lines have CCTV cameras throughout the shift. Without a specific request put in place for them to preserve the surveillance video they will often “destroy it”.
CCTV footage is essential to not only prove that the accident occurred but to prove why and how it happened. Without it, it is sometimes difficult to understand how somebody fell. Most people who get injured on a cruise have no idea what caused them to slip and fall. They just know that they got hurt.
We offer anyone who may have been injured while on a cruise an initial legal consultation free of charge by SKYPE, email, or telephone, toll-free at 1-888-742-0372. Our lawyers have a combined legal experience of nearly 50 years, holding cruise lines accountable for putting their profits ahead of your safety. Let our lawyers help you obtain the compensation you may be entitled to for lost wages, medical expenses, travel reimbursement, loss of the enjoyment of the cruise, and pain and suffering. Call us today. We are ready to help.
Frequently when passengers seek medical care for a slip and fall or trip and fall that happens on a cruise ship- the ship’s security guards are waiting for them in the medical center and ask them questions about how and why the accident occurred in such a manner to build the cruise lines defense for any potential claim. They also asked the passenger to fill out something called a “passenger injury statement” which is a form riddled with questions that are designed to incriminate the injured passenger and minimize their potential of success in a subsequent lawsuit.
Alcohol is one of the most common factors in a cruise ship accident. These cruise lines frequently sell “all you can drink” alcohol packages. We find these packages tend to inspire passengers to drink more than they typically would otherwise. As a result, alcohol can affect your motor skills, your ability to walk down steep and wet staircases, and your ability to make intelligent decisions regarding your safety. This is especially true when you were trying to navigate dark outdoor staircases and wet and slippery pool decks.
Norwegian Cruise Line is notorious for requiring passengers to take a breathalyzer test after they have been injured. Regardless of whether you submit a breathalyzer to the cruise line, they will simply and surely argue that you were under the influence of alcohol at the time of your fall and that is the reason that you got hurt. This is why we strongly recommend that our clients drink very responsibly when they are on a cruise especially if they are traveling by themselves or with small children.
Sadly, sexual assault and rape on cruise ships are not uncommon, and the majority of them go unreported. The FBI has jurisdiction over any crime that occurs on a cruise ship that leaves from and returns to a US port or that involves a US citizen anywhere in the world. However, from cruises that leave from foreign countries where there is no FBI jurisdiction, many of these types of crimes especially rape and sexual assaults go unreported and uninvestigated.
The typical scenario of a sexual assault on a cruise ship involves a passenger on a passenger or a crewmember on a passenger. These can occur in cabins, nightclubs, or indoor hidden parts of the ship.
Cruise ships are essentially floating cities and have thousands of passengers from all walks of life including those who are convicted criminals and sexual predators. It is important to stay aware and cautious at all times while you are on a cruise and always keep your cabin door locked when you are inside.
If you have been the victim of a sexual assault or rape on a cruise ship it is important to consult with a sexual assault cruise ship lawyer immediately. Even if you were still on the ship the cruise line has a responsibility to provide you with a confidential place to speak with an attorney.
Our law firm has considerable experience in representing the victims of sexual assaults on cruise ships and will be available to consult with you free of charge 24 hours a day and can speak via telephone, zoom, Google Meet, or Skype.
Since 1991, Spencer Aronfeld and the attorneys at Aronfeld Trial Lawyers have fought hard to protect the rights of injured passengers against cruise lines that put their profits ahead of passenger safety. Call us today, we are ready to help you protect your legal rights and get the monetary compensation that you are entitled to for lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
ule Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
Most cruise lines require that lawsuits be initiated against them within one year of the date of the incident. Some cruise lines like Norwegian require written notice within 185 days before a lawsuit can even be filed. Always check your passenger ticket for the specifics regarding your cruise as these regulations and rules change frequently. Or better yet call us for a free consultation.
Most major cruise lines require a lawsuit against them to be filed in federal court in Miami, Florida. However, Holland America requires cases to be filed in federal court in Washington state and Princess cruise lines requires cases to be filed in Los Angeles, California. We recommend that you review the passenger contract to see where the specific venue is depending on your cruise ticket, or better yet contact us for a free consultation. Our Princess cruise injury lawyers have successfully represented injured passengers and claims around the world and we can help you call us today.
Every cruise accident case is different. The value of a case is dependent upon several factors including how serious the injury is, the total amount of medical bills in the past and future, lost wages, as well as how easy or difficult it will be to prove how the accident happened. Since every case is different we strongly recommend that you contact us as soon as possible so that we can help you understand your case, its value and protect your legal rights.
Since most cruise lines require the lawsuit to be filed against them within one year of the date of the incident in federal court, the process moves relatively quickly compared to other typical types of personal injury cases that may happen on land or as a result of a car accident. We are able to get our client’s cases resolved typically within a year of the date that they hire us. Sometimes much quicker depending upon the facts of the case. Rarely do these cases last more than a year to resolve, but it all depends on the injury, the liability, and how eager both parties are to get the case settled or tried by a jury.
Miami-based Aronfeld Trial Lawyers was established by Board Certified Trial Lawyer, Spencer Aronfeld in 1991. The firm represents cases resulting in serious injuries in the areas of Defective Product Liability, Maritime Law, Automobile Accidents, Premises Liability, Cycling Accidents, Slip and Fall Incidents, Wrongful Death, Medical and Dental Malpractice, Civil Rights Claims, Workplace Injuries, Sexual Assault, and others. Every client receives the full benefit of our experience, our resources, and our commitment. The practice of personal injury law is our calling. We are a firm of high-profile, nationally recognized legal advocates who work for you, our client, never big business. All attorneys and staff members at the firm are bilingual speaking Spanish. To learn more, visit https://www.aronfeld.com/ or contact Aronfeld Trial Lawyers directly at (305) 441-0440.
Aronfeld Trial Lawyers is a firm of high-profile, nationally recognized legal advocates who work for you, our client, never big business. We represent cases resulting in serious injuries in the areas of Cruise Ship Injuries, Wrongful Death, Automobile Accidents, Cycling Accidents, Slip and Fall Incidents, Product Liability, Civil Rights Claims, Workplace Injuries, Maritime Law, Sexual Assault, Medical and Dental Malpractice, and others.
Quick Links
Contact Us
Let’s Work Together
©Aronfeld. 2024 KCoWeb All Rights Reserved
