Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
An electrical fire broke out on the first night of a cruise leaving Port Canaveral over the weekend.
The electrical fire allegedly started in an emergency generator room of MSC Seashore Sunday. No injuries were reported in this incident and the fire was quickly put out, according to reporting from media outlets following cruise line news. As a result of the incident, guests reported smoke, dining room closures and elevator shutdowns.
The ship is set to return to Port Canaveral on Dec. 15.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has represented thousands of clients injured due to cruise ship negligence in 48 years. With headquarters in a city whose port has seen more than 8 million travelers in 2024, the firm is no stranger when it comes to the chaos that can occur onboard a ship from slip and falls to criminal acts and medical negligence. As the industry adapts to a growing demand of travelers and stiffer competition, these ships advertise various thrill-seeking amenities such as go-kart tracks, waver runners and daring water slides – a recipe for disaster and injury. Even something as simple as not taking the proper precautions to address a spilled drink on a slippery floor or warning passengers can cause a disastrous injury with long-term effects for passengers.
In a premises liability case against a prominent cruise line, Leesfield & Partners represented a woman who suffered an unstable comminuted fracture of her wrist that required invasive surgery to repair. The woman’s fall – on a pool deck that lacked slip-resistance features – was captured by the ship’s surveillance cameras. The ship’s crew failed to warn passengers of this hazard.
The firm won an appeal in that case with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals vacating the summary judgement and finding that the trial court should not have excluded testimony from experts who attested to the dangers of the pool deck’s surface.
A young boy playing basketball hit his head on a steel, unpadded grommet on a ship’s basketball court while diving for an out-of-bounds ball. The result was a life-altering head injury.
A multi-million-dollar settlement was obtained by Leesfield & Partners in that case.
Over the years, Leesfield & Partners has seen dozens of premises liability cruise ship cases with millions in recovery for injured clients. Each of these tragic and painful incidents could have been avoided had the ships involved and their employees taken the proper precautions to warn passengers or address the hazards.
Previously, Leesfield & Partners represented a Canadian woman who was raped in her cabin by a crewmember who used his employee status to enter her private room.
A confidential settlement was secured for the woman in that case.
In a similar case being handled by Bernardo Pimentel II, a Trial Lawyer at the firm, a crewmember used his employee card to gain entry to the private stateroom bathrooms of unsuspecting guests and planted hidden cameras to film them as they undressed. That employee has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, however, the damage he has caused to numerous guests, including our client, can never be undone. Passengers who were filmed without their knowledge include both adults and minors.
Following the incident, our client previously told reporters that she was left with a “crushing, devastating, terrifying,” feeling and went on to say that she and her family “were so deceived” by this crewmember.
That case is ongoing.
One case handled by the firm involves a little girl, 8, who was separated from her family on board. When the child peered over a balcony, the badly installed ship railing gave way, and she fell to her death.
A confidential settlement was reached by the firm in that case for the child’s grieving family.
Safety Tips
If you ever find yourself on a cruise ship when a fire breaks out, it is crucial to not panic and follow instructions given to you by the crew. Below are some safety tips that may help you and your family should you ever find yourselves in this situation.
- Follow instructions given by crew over the PA system.
- Always know where your muster station is and walk there calmly to await further instructions. It is important to know several routes to your muster station on a ship in case the main path is blocked by debris or other hazards.
- Locate your life jacket and put it on as soon as you reach your muster station.
- Do not use the elevators. Instead, use the stairs to evacuate.
- If you see smoke, stay low. Smoke and hot air rises. Staying closer to the ground can make it easier to breathe as you navigate your way to a safer location.
- At the start of a cruise, the crew will have guests attend the muster drill. Do not skip out on this important safety briefing.
- Report suspicious activity to crew including potential fire hazards.
- Do not attempt to bring any prohibited items such as candles or torch-style lighters onboard as these can be hazardous.
