Cruise Ship Accidents

In various areas of the world, including California, millions of people experience the enjoyment that a cruise ship has to offer. Tourists and residents of California take trips on cruise ships everyday. Many people don’t think of anything bad happening to them while on a cruise ship, but unfortunately, accidents and injuries do occur. Most of the time, cruise ship accidents could have been prevented if staff and cruise ship employees followed the proper and necessary precautions and guidelines.

Some of the many common injuries that have occurred on California Cruise Ships include but are not limited to:

• Food poisoning or mass illness onboard
• Slip and Falls on deck
• Drownings in swimming pools or by falling overboard
• Head Injuries
• Sexual or Physical Assault By Cruise Staff

The result of a personal injury case from a cruise ship accident also depends on where the actual injury occurred. For example, if the cruise ship accident happened more than 3 miles away from the California shore, general maritime law is applied. If they did occur within the territorial waters of California, however, California State Law applies. These are the types of legal issues that need to be analyzed and addressed to determine whether compensation may be owed to the victim of a personal injury or the family of a wrongful death decedent.

If someone is involved in a fatal accident while on a cruise ship, the Death on the High Seas Act (46 U.S.C. app. §§ 761–768) is applied, and this involves a different set of laws. The Death on the High Seas Act is a federal law enacted by Congress to allow “recovery of damages against a shipowner by a spouse, child or dependent family member of a seaman killed in international waters ” in wrongful death cases “caused by negligence or unseaworthiness.” This applies to injury or death by a U.S. Citizen in the areas of the ocean which are 12 nautical miles or more off the coast of the United States with some exceptions. It can apply when an incident occurs either on the ship or if the boat capsizes or sinks resulting in the bodily harm or death of a passenger.

If you lost someone close to you while they were out at sea and on a cruise ship, contact our lawyers to find out more information about the different laws and how you can receive compensation for your loss. Keep in mind that cruise ship accidents need to be acted upon quickly or else you may exceed the time period that you can file a lawsuit. Furthermore, delay in investigation can lead to the loss or destruction of vital evidence that may be necessary to prove your claim. If you have been injured while on a cruise, you can receive compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, and your medical expenses, contact our California cruise ship injury lawyers today!