Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers Who Will Be There for You

Water is a constant when you're on a cruise. Not only are you surrounded by the ocean, but today's cruise ships are also practically floating water parks, with pools, hot tubs, water slides, and more. In fact, the only thing that many cruises don't have on board is lifeguards. Perhaps that's why there are instances of people (mostly children) drowning on cruises every single year. Cruise lines should not be allowed to continue engaging in unsafe practices like this, but the only way to change them and make sure no more people suffer is to fight back.

A significant portion of cruise ship injures occur during onshore excursions to cruise ship destinations. Such excursions often include high-risk activities such as zip-lining, parasailing, and rock-climbing. Cruise lines can ensure such excursions are thrilling and injury-free by providing safe equipment, training staff, and complying with safety regulations. When they neglect to do so, the opportunity for serious injury increases.

The close quarters of cruise ships allow illnesses and bacteria to spread very quickly, so a single batch of bad food can result in hundreds of passengers getting sick. Food poisoning may occur on cruise ships when food is not handled properly, low-grade ingredients are used, or refrigeration systems malfunction.

Over the years, there have been numerous reports of fires aboard cruise ships, many of them claiming the lives of passengers and crewmembers alike. Cruise ship fires can be particularly catastrophic, since there are so few routes for escape. Oftentimes, such fires could have been prevented by following standard safety procedures and resolving mechanical issues in a timely manner.

Over the last few years, there have been numerous reports of infections, viruses, and diseases spread among cruise ship passengers. The most notable among these is the norovirus, outbreaks of which have been reported on more 20 cruise ships over the past 20 years. Infections, illnesses, and viruses like the norovirus can spread rapidly throughout a ship when ship conditions become unsanitary, or cruise lines do not take proper actions to contain the virus.

Although cruise lines often market themselves as offering medical care aboard their ships, medical facilities, resources, and staff are often severely limited. Oftentimes, staff members are not even licensed to practice medicine in the US, and are provided with very basic equipment. For this reason, medical staff aboard ships often administer inadequate or shoddy treatments that can end up causing further harm.

Slip and fall accidents are among the most common cruise ship accidents, often caused by slippery floors, wet decks, out-of-place objects, & improperly disposed of debris and trash. While some people are able to stand up & laugh after a slip and fall, others are not so lucky. Slip and fall accidents are the leading cause of traumatic brain injury, and have been known to cause complications such as lacerations, fractured bones, and spinal cord damage. When passengers fall and seriously harm themselves, they are often unable to seek medical attention until the ship docks in the next port.

Deaths aboard cruise ships are rare, but devastating occurrences. Cruise ship deaths often occur due to fires, overboard incidents, and drownings.