Cruise Ship Accident Lawyer Blog
A 24-year-old woman fell and suffered serious head trauma while aboard a Carnival Victory cruise ship. News reports indicate that she is now fighting for her life and may be paralyzed unable to ever walk again. Our team of Miami cruise ship injury lawyers are shocked and saddened by this news report. It begs the question – could this traumatic injury have been prevented?
The details about what exactly caused the passenger to fall on the cruise ship remains a mystery, as of the date of this posting. However, what we do know is shocking. The young woman reportedly hit her head hard, but was not taken off the cruise ship through medevac to the hospital for six to eight hours, according to MyFoxBoston.com. In that six-to-eight hour delay, she suffered multiple strokes.
A delay of that length is wholly unacceptable. Why she was not medevacced immediately upon
discovering her head injury defies logic and common sense. The family of this young woman needs to investigate what exactly happened and who dropped the ball. Delaying treatment for someone with a potential traumatic brain injury only exacerbates the harm, as evident by the fact that this young victim suffered numerous strokes during the waiting period. There is a legitimate question as to whether her extensive injuries were caused by the fall itself or by the unacceptable delay in treatment.
What the Family Must Do Next
If the family of this young woman considers legal action against Carnival, they have some preliminary hurdles they must got through. They will need to send written notice to Carnival alerting them of their intent to file a personal injury claim, in accordance with the time limitations likely stated in small print on the back of the young woman’s Carnival cruise line ticket. Consulting with a cruise ship injury law firm would make sense at this phase since an experienced cruise ship accident attorney can help guide you through the complicated maze of laws and regulations governing cruise ship injuries.
Along with the notice, the family needs to get the names of cruise ship personnel who learned of the young woman’s injury and who made the decision to delay requesting a medevac. The family also needs to request a copy of any documents that were filled out, like an incident report.
Any photos and/or video footage of the accident scene should be collected, as well. News reports indicate that the young woman was accompanied by her boyfriend on the cruise. If he has any photos or video, he needs to turn them over to the family right away.
Once these steps are taken, legal action must be pursued sooner rather than later since there is usually a shorter statute of limitations associated with civil claims filed against cruise lines.
Hire an Experienced Miami Cruise Ship Injury Law Firm Today
As you can see, taking legal action against a cruise line is far more complex when compared to an auto accident claim, motorcycle accident claim, or other land-based accident claim. You need to seriously consider contacting an experienced maritime attorney who understands the complex laws associated with these types of claims. That is where Gerson & Schwartz, PA come in. They know how to handle these cases and offer free, confidential consultations.