Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
A woman was found unresponsive in the water while on a cruise excursion and a man who died in a cruise line security’s custody, prompting an FBI investigation, are among four of the people who have recently died aboard cruises.
On Dec. 17, a crew member went overboard as the ship he was on was headed back to port in Baltimore, prompting a seven-hour-long search. The man in that incident tragically passed away. He was 23.
A woman died at the hospital after she was found unresponsive in the waters at Blue Lagoon, a popular cruise excursion in Nassau, Bahamas. Additional information, including the extent of her injuries or whether she died from ingesting a substance, were not immediately available Friday morning. The woman’s name has not been released.
At around 3 p.m. on Dec. 22, a woman died after an overboard incident aboard a cruise ship that was headed back to port in Fort Lauderdale. Tragically, the woman – traveling on a Sky Princess Cruise ship – could not be saved.
The death of an enraged passenger who had a verbal altercation with crew members and was seen in viral, online videos attempting to kick down a door in his tirade died while in the ship’s security’s custody. The man killed in that instance was identified as 35-year-old Michael Virgil. This incident took place on Dec. 13 aboard Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas.
Security allegedly had to use an array of detainment methods on Virgil, including pepper spray, zip ties and handcuffs. A family member accused security of injecting Virgil with an unknown sedative, according to various news outlets. He died an hour later.
The FBI has launched an investigation into the incident.
Cruise Cases Handled by Leesfield & Partners
While cruises have proven to be convenient ways to travel and unwind from everyday life, they don’t come without their risks. As the industry continues to boom and ships continue to provide more thrill-seeking onboard amenities to compete on the market, more and more people have taken to the seas. In 2024 alone, PortMiami has seen over 8 million passengers, an almost 13% increase from 2023. With that, Leesfield & Partners has seen more and more injured passengers and grieving families. The firm has handled various injuries due to various branches of cruise line negligence ranging from premises liability to medical malpractice and negligent security.
As common carriers, cruise lines have a non-delegable duty to provide a safe environment free of dangers such as inept cruise line doctors, faulty ship railings, trip hazards and criminal activity on board ships.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners obtained a multi-million-dollar recovery for a Canadian woman who was raped by a crew member in her cabin. The crew member used his employee key card to enter the woman’s private cabin where the attack ensued.
In an ongoing Leesfield & Partners case being handled by Trial Lawyer Bernardo Pimentel II, a crew member similarly took advantage of his employee status to prey on unsuspecting passengers. The crew member in that case planted hidden cameras in the private bathrooms of various passengers who ranged in age from children to adults.
Our client, a woman traveling on the ship who was among the passengers who were unknowingly being filmed, previously told local reporters that the violation has left her with a sickening feeling.
The crew member at the center of that case has since been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
In a parasailing excursion incident that went terribly wrong, a mother was killed and a daughter suffered permanent brain injuries after a rope connecting the two to a boat snapped due to high winds. The two plummeted toward the water.
A $7.25 million recovery was secured by Leesfield & Partners.
What to Do
If you or a loved one has been involved in a cruise ship accident, it is imperative that you not move from the area where the incident occurred unless you are in immediate danger or require emergent medical assistance. The incident should be reported as soon as possible to crew members and cruise officials. Injured passengers and loved ones should take photos of the incident location as well as the injuries incurred at that location and continue to document their injuries as they heal.
Additionally, passengers and their families should demand that the crew members take their own photos of the area before any clean up takes place so as to preserve documentation as to how the area appeared the day of the incident. Passengers should request any and all medical records from doctors they see onboard the ship and at any local hospitals thereafter. These medical records should include any X-Rays that the patient may have undergone.
A written request should be made to security officers on board to obtain a copy and/or preserve any and all surveillance footage from the area where the incident took place. Passengers should also follow up with their local doctor as soon as possible.
In Florida, the statute of limitations is two years though most companies state in their ticket contracts that the cruise line must be notified of any potential claims within six months of the incident. Any lawsuit filed in relation to this incident must be filed no later than one year after the initial injury.
