Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
With the dwindling days of summer vacation and the promise of back-to-school sales and homework assignments on the horizon, families all over the United States will head to South Florida in droves for last-minute summer getaways. The area has plenty to offer that attracts millions of tourists every year from the famed beauty and history of the Florida Keys to the opportunity to observe wildlife in the Everglades. Many families, however, will head straight to PortMiami, the cruise capital of the world, to board one of many cruise lines that frequent the area.
PortMiami saw 7.3 million people pass through it in 2023 as the cruise line industry continued to gain back its footing after the pandemic. With increased traffic to the area as this boon in the industry continues comes the rise in the possibility of injuries.
With a home base in Miami, Florida, Leesfield & Partners has had the unique opportunity of watching cruise ships compete with one another over the years to become “floating cities” and sea-bound theme parks. Today, more and more ships are equipped with winding slides, slippery water parks and onboard attractions that can sometimes lead to catastrophic injury when the right precautions are not taken. When the latter takes place, Leesfield & Partners has been there to support injured clients and grieving families. The extensive experience of Leesfield & Partners attorneys attained over its 48 years representing clients is to the benefit of an injured person seeking our legal counsel.
While there is no sole source responsible for tracking and reporting injuries aboard a cruise ship, and the cruise line companies themselves are keen to avoid any negative attention, there is some data to report. In data from the National Library of Medicine, researchers reported that there were approximately 663 passenger injuries reported during three years. Over this period, 12.5% of the injuries were categorized as serious. Nearly half of the reported injuries on board a ship were due to slips and falls. These injury types also caused almost 70% of injuries ashore.
If you have taken a bad spill on a cruise ship, there are several recourses of action you can take early on that may help your case. It is recommended that you not move from where the incident occurred if it is safe to do so and report the incident to a crew member immediately. You, or someone you are traveling with, should take photos of yourself, your injuries and the area where you fell as soon as possible and ask the crew member to whom you have reported the incident to also photograph the area before they clean up any spills or modify the area where you fell in any way. Get a copy of medical records including X-rays from the doctor or medical staff that examined you. If there were security cameras in the area where you fell, ask for a copy of that footage. Seek medical attention from your preferred doctor as soon as you get home and obtain a copy of their findings following an examination. Contact a cruise injury lawyer as soon as you get home.
If you are a passenger or crew member and you were injured aboard a cruise ship, call 800-836-6400 for a free consultation on your case today.
