Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer Blog
Cruise ship accidents can happen anytime, anywhere, without any prior warning whatsoever. Take, for example, the recent incident involving the Royal Winner Princess II party cruise ship, which hit the Carolina Beach Wildlife Fishing Pier on July 11, 2015 injuring 15 passengers on board. At least two passengers had to be taken off in stretchers under emergency circumstances with neck braces. In spite of all the modern scientific technological advancements, human error accounts for more than eighty percent of cruise ship accidents, according to official reports from the U.S. Coast Guard. Loss of concentration often results in overlooking submerged obstacles lying ahead, like rocks or icebergs, and panicked manoeuvring the huge vessel at the last moment often proves fatal and overturns the ship altogether – injuring passengers on board. As experienced maritime lawyers, we want our readers to understand and be prepared for a serious cruise ship incident.
Important Steps Any Cruise Ship Accident Victim Needs to Take
If you or a loved one gets hurt while on a cruise ship, be sure to report the incident immediately to a crew member or other administrator (be sure to get their full name and contact information). Take photos, record videos, and get the names of any witnesses. You want to have documentation reflecting when and where the incident occurred. Once you have safely returned to land, a written notice of intent to file a claim according to the terms of your cruise ticket is necessary (a maritime lawyer can help with drafting and sending this letter).
Why You Should Contact a Cruise Ship Injury Lawyer if an Incident Occurs
A cruise ship incident can result in an array of injuries ranging from those requiring a few weeks of physical therapy to life-threatening injuries that may result in permanent damage. Regardless of the type of injury, you need an attorney who actually has experience handling cruise ship injury cases. Why? Because they can be quite complex involving maritime law, federal law, and/or state law. If you hire an attorney who has never handled a cruise ship injury case, you are exposing your case to the risk of being dismissed on a summary judgment motion or a legal technicality.
Low Risk, High Reward
Retaining a maritime attorney for your cruise ship injury claim is a low risk, high reward proposition. Personal injury attorneys handling cruise ship accident claims generally work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t pay a lawyer an hourly fee or big retainer fee. Instead, your lawyer gets paid contingent upon you getting paid.
Reach Out to a Maritime Lawyer Today
The cruise ship accident attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz, PA are licensed to practice law in all Florida state and federal courts. We are affiliated with other lawyers in virtually all jurisdictions where we are not admitted to practice. Our Florida law offices are located in the heart of Miami, Florida close to the port of Miami and Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. Our attorneys have 80 years of collective experience handling personal injury claims, maritime accidents, and wrongful death cases. All cases are handled on a contingent fee so there are no attorney’s fees unless we recover money on your behalf. Contact us today at for a consultation at 1-877-475-2905.