Practice Areas Personal Injury Cruise Ship Accidents

Injury Attorney Serving Individuals in the Boca Raton Area

When you embark on a cruise, you expect to enjoy a vacation at sea. Being seriously hurt in a cruise ship accident can significantly affect your life, both emotionally and financially. When these injuries are caused by another’s negligent actions, it is important to make sure you have a dedicated attorney by your side. Most cruise ship accidents are governed by maritime law, which can involve particularly complex claims and strategies. Dedicated injury lawyer Michael K. Grife has experience representing people in Boca Raton and the surrounding Florida communities who have been hurt aboard a vessel. Mr. Grife fights for his clients’ rights aggressively, pursuing legal action against those responsible, including cruise ship owners, operators, or other negligent parties.

Bringing a Claim After an Incident of Negligence on a Cruise Ship

Many different kinds of incidents and injuries can occur on a cruise ship, including slip and falls, near-drownings, food poisoning, collisions with another vessel or object, or back injuries or broken bones caused by dangerous conditions on the boat. Maritime, or admiralty, laws govern cruise ships and can often be complex. The two statutes enacted to protect people harmed at sea, The Seamen’s Act and The Jones Act, are designed for the safety of crew members who work on ships, rather than those who board as guests. However, these laws do allow for workers and crewmembers to receive compensation for injuries sustained at their jobs. In addition, medical malpractice by a ship’s doctor or sexual assaults by crewmembers or other passengers may lead to a civil claim.

Even though many cruise ships originating from American ports are foreign-owned, they are still governed by U.S. law when contracts are entered into in the United States. Cruise ship tickets often include provisions regarding where a case may be pursued, most often in Miami federal court. Tickets may also contain requirements regarding the statute of limitations or choice of law clauses. Passengers who are injured on a cruise ship embarking in Florida are usually subject to a one-year statute of limitations, and sometimes they are given as little as six months to file a claim. This makes it especially important to consult a lawyer as soon as possible. Reporting your injury to cruise ship security, as well as documenting the scene and gathering as much information as possible, is also critical to preserve your right to compensation.

When a passenger sustains an injury, he or she must prove that the cruise operator fell below the standard of care considered reasonable under the circumstances. It is also important to show that the accident did not result from an open and obvious danger that was readily apparent. Circumstances may become even more complicated if a cruise ship incident results in a death. For instance, if a passenger’s death occurs within a state’s territorial waters, that state’s wrongful death statute applies. However, if a death happens more than three miles from shore, the Death on the High Seas Act generally applies.