Passengers of cruise ships enjoy their trips without untoward incidents, although sea sickness and hangover are common. But accidents sometimes happen and it may be due to the negligence of the operator of the cruise ship. The filing of a lawsuit for cruise ship injury is contained by combining the maritime law, federal regulations, and contractual agreements that can be read at the back of your ticket. Read Cruise Ship Accidents and Liability and What is a Common Carrier?

If you were injured at the sea or at the port of call, report the incident immediately and be sure to get the names and contact information of any passengers or crew who could be your witness and confirm your claims. Get written witness’ statements and take pictures where they are appropriate. Then, file your claim within the limits indicated at the back of your ticket.

Take note that a cruise ship injury may entail, although not restricted, to the following conditions:

Slip and Fall Accidents

During accidents where cruise ships are involved, there are many where the passengers may suffer slip and fall injuries, considering that most cruise ships have restaurants, pools, rooms for dancing, and sometimes decks are wet and slippery. Taking of pictures of the conditions that resulted to the injury and the photos of the injuries, if applicable can help a lot. Aside from this, document if there are sufficient warnings for the slippery conditions.

Food Poisoning

One batch of contaminated food can be distributed quickly on a cruise ship, including the norovirus which is commonly known as “stomach flu.” The terms and limitations are at the back of the ticket and are sometimes permit refunds in cases of food poisoning, but an experienced attorney can review your case for probable negligence legal case.

Missing Persons

There were about 41 cruise ship passengers who were reported missing from 2011 to 2012 based on the records of the Cruise Victims Association. In 2011, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act was signed into law and it required all the ships to report all the disappearances and crimes that involve US citizens to the Coast Guard and FBI. The missing individuals may be declared dead after the unsuccessful search and rescue attempts or after some number of years that passed.

Wrongful Death

Personal injury law permits the surviving family members to file lawsuits on the basis of wrongful death after the courts find the operator of the cruise ship negligent. The cruise ship deaths might be due to suicide, foul play by another passenger, accidental drowning or could be as a result of the negligence of the operator of the cruise ship. Any wrongful death would depend so much on the evidence presented.

Sexual Assault and Rape

Even though maritime law may hold operators of the cruise ships responsible for intentional criminal acts of the employees against the passengers or other employees, sexual assault and other crimes may be hard to investigate before the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. Victims of rape and other types of sexual assault should be reported right away to the ship authorities who are also tasked to report all similar incidents.

If you experienced an injury on a cruise ship, make sure you have documented the incident and reported it to the ship authorities immediately. Then, contact an experienced admiralty and maritime attorney if you are planning to file an injury claim.